Welcome back to the crazy world of SkyCaps. This is the
place I blather on about the shows that alter my universe and eat my brain. And
hopefully share my love for the writing, cast, and storylines.
Standard warning—always keep drink safely away from the
computer, device or keyboard when reading. Be prepped and ready for snarky
commentary and foul language. I get excited and sometimes upset and when I do,
the four letter words fly. I also make up words to fit my moods, so there's
that, too. I'm not always on the same wavelength with others. This means off
the wall opinions, observations and non-stop rambling is pretty much a given.
Spoilers and speculation abound. If you haven't seen the episode and don't want
it ruined, step away from the recap and run in the opposite direction.
As always, keep your hands and feet inside the roller
coaster at all times. Safety first, folks. The ride gets bumpy. J
Okay, everyone ready?
Here we go…
COLD OPENING
The day I went missing…
Was the day I died…
Five years in hell forged me into a weapon…
Which I use to honor a vow I made to my father…
Who sacrificed his life for mine…
In his final moments, he told me the truth.
That our family's wealth had been built on the suffering of
others…
That he'd failed our city, and it was up to me to save it,
and right his wrongs…
But to do that without endangering the people closest to me…
I have to be someone else…
I have to be something else…
Cut to a rooftop and Oliver taking on about five guys with
three in reserve. Two arrows launched and the call goes out to get the chopper
back. Who is this guy? Dudes, you're about to find out…
Two, no three, more guys down and Oliver's target starts
begging. Please, please wait. But Oliver isn't in the mood to wait for anything.
He sends the guy flying down to the next level of the rooftop and shoves his
face into really close to a whirling fan.
"Marcus Redmond, you've failed this city…"
The rest of the instructions are tersely delivered. Tell his
partner to give those pensioners back their money. Now.
Oliver walks away.
Cut to the Queen residence with Walter, Moira, and Thea
starting their morning with the news playing in the background. Redmond
followed the instructions, saying it was always the plan, but the news reports he'd
been coerced by the vigilante.
Oliver: This guy gets more airtime than the Kardashians. (If
only. *eye roll*)
Thea: Five years on an island and you still know who they
are.
LOL
Oliver's been catching up. Dude, I could recommend some MUCH
better TV than that. Seriously.
Anyway, Oliver's glad to see how much their culture has
improved while he'd been away. Moira chimes in with how things are different.
People used to think the city was safe.
Thea's catty response about being next makes me chuckle. I'd
say they're safe…
For now.
Ahh. Oliver has to be declared not dead. Fun times. And
Oliver's fine… he's been in the courtroom before. Four times by Tommy's
estimation…
—DUI
—Assault on a douchbag paparazzi
—Stealing a taxi, which was just awesome, by the way. LOL
—And who can forget peeing on a cop.
Oh, Oliver, such a misspent youth.
Anyway, Oliver would hang but they're headed for Court.
Tommy's down with that. He wouldn't miss his best friend being legally
resurrected for the world.
Thea, on the other hand, thinks the first four times with
Ollie in Court was quite enough.
Fair enough.
Side Note: I love how Oliver is pretty laid back about Thea
not wanting to go. There's got to be some residual sibling tension after his
party, yeah?
Enter Diggle… the car is ready. Awww… gotta love Tommy
offering his arm to Moira. Can't blame her disinclination to take it after he
did such an excellent job of reminding her of Oliver's former transgressions.
:D
And cut to exiting the car into a mad swirl of reporters
asking lame ass questions.
Mr. Queen, how does it
feel to return to civilization after five years?
Did anything else
happen on that island, Mr. Queen?
Oliver is not thrilled.
And here's why… flashback to the yacht splitting in half…
Tell us about the
accident Mr. Queen, five years on an island.
Flash to Sarah going down…
Tell us about it…
Oliver: There was a
storm. The boat went down. I was the only survivor.
My father didn't make
it.
I almost died. I, I
thought that I had, because I spent so many days on that life raft before I saw
the island.
When I reached it, I
knew. I knew that I was gonna have to live for both of us.
And in those five
years, it was that one thought that kept me going.
So the attorney moves to do whatever it is to lift the
motion filed for death in absentia. But not for his father, Robert. The Queen
family only gets one miracle.
Can you blame Oliver for begging off going to the office? The
whole being declared not dead ended up being 'heavier' than he thought it would
be. I rather like Tommy calling him on it. Last week, Oliver couldn't wait to
get back to the office. Then again, Oliver had just spent five years away from
civilization, he wasn't exactly thinking straight.
Speaking of not thinking straight…
Hello, Laurel.
O: Hi
L: What are you doing here?
O: Oh, they were bringing me back from the dead, legally
speaking. What are you doing here?
L: My job.
O: Right.
J: More like the DA's.
Oliver introduces himself to Laurel's client and the fur
flies…
L: Oliver just got back from spending five years on an uncharted
island. Before that, he was cheating on me with my sister. He was with her when
she died, and last week he told me to stay away from him. It was really good
advice. Excuse me.
Oi. At least Tommy's got the right moves again… Come on,
buddy. Shake it off.
LOL I seriously love Tommy to bits. Even though he and
Laurel had their own little thing going on… more on this as the recaps
progress.
Ahhh… I think Oliver just acquired his new target. Martin
Somers. Who plans to fight Laurel's slander to his last dime and breath… he's
an honest business man, don't you know. *eye roll*
Oliver has to fight his way to the car, with Diggle running
interference. I love it when Digg threatens to make one of the guys eat his
Nikon. Of course Oliver tears off in the care by himself. And once again, Tommy
has some words of wisdom.
This happens to you a
lot, doesn't it?
LOL
Back to Court and Laurel is making her case about a
stevedore on the docks in the city they live in. Intermixed is what Somers did
to Victor Nocenti when he found out Somers was taking bribes from the Chinese
Triad to move drugs into the city. Somers is connected to the DA's office and
since they won't seek justice, Laurel will.
Cut to Oliver in his lair, also known as the Foundry, doing
what he does best… working out and giving the audience something awesome to
look at while he provides exposition.
See… proof:
What? Arrows aren't pretty?
Basically, Oliver explains how Laurel targets the worst in
the city so it's no surprise Somers is on his father's list. And because the
police and DA can't—or won't—stop him, Laurel thinks she's the only one who can
bring him to justice.
But she's wrong…
Random Commentary
See… I really like the way Arrow handles exposition. Give me something gorgeous to look at
while filling me in. What's not to enjoy, right? And I love the island
flashbacks. Finding out what happened to Oliver in small doses that tie in to
what he's got going on now works for me. And both the exposition and flashbacks
add some depth and make the show for me.
Meanwhile… on the docks…
Somers reams his attorney and rips him a new one. The longer
this goes on, the more likely the media will crucify him. Well, no shit,
dumbass. That's the point. *shakes head* Anyway, does the lawyer understand
him? Yes, sir.
Darkness falls.
An arrow whistles through the air.
Flash of light. Somers is dumbfounded.
Another arrow zings. And another.
Flash of light. Somers is freaked out.
Zing. Zing.
Now Somers is shaking in his Italian loafers. (What? I'm
assuming that's what he'd wear. Go with it. LOL)
The attorney is down. All the other goons are down. It's
just Somers, whipping his head around trying to figure out what the fuck.
Wham!
Dark Flash
Cue Oliver upside down in the frame. Wait… no… check that.
Somers is hanging upside down from a yardarm, or whatever the hell those crane
things are called.
Martin Somers! You have failed this city!
Oliver notches an arrow and takes aim.
Somers is pissing down his leg, er… well, I guess maybe his
arm since he's upside down. Oliver lets the arrow fly then makes his wishes clear.
Martin will testify at the trial.
He's going to confess to having Victor Nocenti killed.
There won't be a second warning.
He shoots another arrow, targeting Martin's face and leaves
a nice little mark behind.
Cue Opening Credits
Side Note: Pretty incredible aim, considering Somers is
weaving back and forth in the air. Nicely done, show. Nicely done.
ACT ONE
Oh dear… Moira is giving Diggle shit about not doing his
job. She hired him to protect her son. She's not a professional bodyguard, but
isn't the first requirement managing to stay next to the man Diggle's hired to
protect?
Diggs response: With all due respect, ma'am, I've never had
a client who didn't want my protection.
Tough shit, Digg. Moira
hired you, not Oliver. That makes her the client. By the way, where is her son
going on his chaperoneless excursions?
Diggle truly doesn't know.
Enter Oliver… and he really doesn't. Perhaps Oliver would
like to share with Moira where he goes?
Oliver: I've been alone for five years.
Moira: I know that…
Oliver: Mom… alone.
Ah. She's finally got it. Oliver promises to introduce her
if it every gets to the exchanging of names. LOL. I love him. So much.
But Moira would rather he take Mr. Diggle on his
rendezvouses. It's not safe. He's already been abducted once. There's a maniac
out there hunting the wealthy.
Yo, Moira. YOU abducted Oliver, remember?
That maniac saved Oliver life. Wait, I mean that maniac IS
Oliver. :D
Diggle would rather be anywhere but in the middle of family
drama, right?
Anyway… Moira lost Oliver once. She's not going through it
again.
Oliver: Okay. Digg's my guy.
He's sorry he's given Digg so much grief.
Dude, Digg served three tours in Afghanistan, you don't come close to his definition of grief.
But… if Oliver ditches Digg again, Moira won't have to fire him.
SIDE NOTE:
I really like the interaction between Oliver and Diggle. The
perverse side of me wants Oliver to ditch him again… just to do it. LOL
Back to recappage.
Oliver wants to know where Thea is going. Someplace loud and
smoky, and by the way, don't bother pickpocketing her stash. She's going to get
drunk instead.
Here's the important info on the sibling conversation.
—Would their dad want this for her?
—Dead people don't want anything. It's one of the benefits
of being dead.
—Oliver was dead and he wanted a lot.
—Except for his family. He's been home a week and all he
does is avoid their mom, ignore Walter and judge Thea.
—Oliver should wait up.
SIDE NOTE:
This is one of my favorite things about the show. Oliver
obviously has reasons for doing all of the above but he can't share them with
his family, let alone anyone. I think the show does a great job building and
showing the contrast and conflict Oliver's double life creates.
Think about it. He spent five years on an island. How the
hell is he supposed to adjust to being back in the family fold, surrounded by
people, technology, and everything he could want or need? He's got a mission to
achieve and a goal to reach. But no one knows about it, so he comes across as
being a ginormous dickhead sometimes, which makes sense, in my opinion. The
fact Thea calls him on it plays nicely from a bratty sibling angle and also
from a place where he's been gone those five years and she does what she wants.
I don't know, it just works for me.
Back to recap…
On the docks…
Detective Lance gets exactly nowhere with Somers.
—They come all the way down to the docks and guess what?
Somers doesn't need him.
—So the 911 call about Somers getting attacked by a guy in
green hood and bow and arrow was a joke, right? (Please note the lovely arrow
mark in the desk.)
—Lance would love to believe the guys like to joke around,
except for one thing.
Evidence to the contrary
—There's a vigilante trying to prove a point. Rob from the
rich, whatever, but he's a killer.
—Nothing and no one is going to stop Lance from bringing him
down.
But hey, like Somers said, clearly nothing happened, right?
More evidence to the contrary
Ha! Somers tries to write things off as a conflict of
interest. After all, Laurel is suing him. Lance is pretty good at keeping his
emotions in check. (Really? I think not. LOL) Somers is NOT good at it. Lance
and his daughter don't want to find out what Somers is capable of when he gets
emotional.
Hmm… that sound suspiciously like a threat, yeah?
Meanwhile at Queen Consolidated
Walter mentions they've modernized quite a bit. My question
is what would they need to modernize in five years? Not like there'd be a huge
change over that timeframe, but whatever, I'll roll with it. Hmm… unless Walter
is referring to the employees. Oliver definitely seems to like the females… and
they seem to like him, too. LOL He's enjoying himself. Walter remembers how
much Oliver loved coming to the office as a boy. Robert let him drink soda.
(Good reason to like going, right?)
So much so that when Walter starts talking diversification
and focusing on bio-tech and clean energy, Oliver develops a powerful thirst
for something sparkling and cold. Come on, Oliver, Moira and Walter have
something they want to discuss…
Sit down…
It makes Oliver nervous when she asks him to sit.
Proof
Okay, he doesn't really look nervous, but it's nice to look
at him, right?
Anyway, here's the breakdown of the conversation
—They're getting ready to break ground on the new Applied
Sciences division and want to honor Robert by naming it for him.
—Nice (From Oliver)
—At the dedication, they want to announce Oliver will be
taking a leadership position in the company
—Uh, no. (From Oliver)
—It's Oliver's company.
—Oliver doesn't want to lead anything. Walter is doing a
very nice job.
Diggle isn't surprised by this news.
Random commentary…
The next part with Moira and Oliver is another reason I love
the show so much. She drives home the point Oliver said he wanted to be a
different person, he IS Robert Queen's son. Oliver doesn't need to be reminded
of that, and he really doesn't. Hello, the episode is titled Honor Thy Father,
right? But the conflict of who is he REALLY is versus the guy he's pretending to
be clash once again. According to Moira, Oliver obviously needs to be reminded
whose son he is. Enter Walter, who kind of seems to get it, everyone
understands how difficult the transition is for Oliver. And no, they kind of
don't, but I love how Walter seems to be the one who tries the hardest.
Remember how he mentioned if Oliver didn't want a bodyguard/babysitter he
shouldn't have to have one?
Yeah, on some level, Walter at least attempts to put himself
in Oliver's shoes, and realizes there's a shit ton of stuff he can't begin to
imagine. Then again, he's not Oliver's mom or sister, so it's way easier for him
to have that outlook.
But Oliver's got a great point when he asks which part
people understand about the transition? The one where they fantasize Oliver got
his MBA on the island? Or the part where his father's CFO now sleeps down the
hall from Oliver. Ouch. Burn. But maybe needed to be said, right?
Think about it.
Oliver's gone for five years. He comes back and his mom is
remarried to his dad's best friend. Whap! That's a bit of reality he couldn't
have anticipated. He also made a promise to his dad to right his wrongs, which Oliver
can't really do if he's tied to a desk working a nine to five (or more like
nine to nine) job. Reality smack. And another thing Oliver probably didn't consider.
He's still trying to find his bearings and meld his two lives (island and home)
together while trying to keep his identities (Oliver and Vigilante) separate.
I'm actually surprised his head isn't spinning around trying to keep up.
And I love it. Everything. All. (In case that's not
noticeable. LOL)
Anyway, five years ago, Moira found Oliver's
irresponsibility somewhat charming. It's a lot less so now.
And okay, Moira, I understand where you're coming from, but
think about this… your son has barely been back long enough to catch his breath
and you want him to start running a company? Remember what the doctor said? He
might not be the same man who left.
Well, guess what? He's not.
And once again, Diggle is stuck in the middle of family
drama.
Fun times. But you know, I think maybe Diggle's quiet observation
might pay off. I kind of get the vibe he's becoming more sympathetic to
Oliver's situation. *shrugs* Maybe it's just me.
Back to recappage…
I wonder if Oliver is getting sick of reporters yet?
Interesting how Diggle gets in the back seat. Smart guy.
Oliver doesn't put up a fuss either. The exchange with Moira
and Walter took its toll, IMO. Oliver is very subdued.
Great conversation here:
Digg: You know, I spent the first twenty-seven years of my
life in Starling City and the next five in Afghanistan; you wanna know what I
learned?
Oliver: There's no place like home?
Digg: No, just the opposite. Home is a battlefield. Back
home they're all trying to get you. Get you to open up. Be somebody you're not
sure you are anymore. Or I could be wrong. Maybe after five years alone, you're
not as messed up in the head as you have every right to be.
I think we've just seen the birth of an understanding here,
people.
FLASHBACK
Oliver wakes up on the island and discovers birds taking
roost around his dad. He stumbles down, chases them away, and I think, hopes to
find out everything had been a nightmare. No such luck. And yes, I'd be sick,
too.
And think about it… having to drag your dead father out of a
life raft and carry him somewhere the animals and birds couldn't get to him
would be like living a really bad dream.
RETURN TO PRESENT
Over at CNRI
So, Laurel and Joann try to explain how difficult the trial
will be for Emily. She doesn't care. It's not about money; it's about justice
for her dad. They slit his throat. And they'll have to kill Emily if they want
her to give up.
Laurel hopes it doesn’t come to that.
And it won't. Enter Detective Lance with round the clock
police protection. The trio better get used to their faces because the detail
will be going wherever they go. No arguments.
Lovely Dad/Daughter exchange here…
L: I'm a lawyer, I live to argue.
Q: I'm your father, I live to keep you safe.
And this…
L: Protective custody? I seem to recall you trying that once
I discovered boys. It didn't work then either.
Q: This isn't a joke, Laurel.
Seriously, I quite enjoy their interactions. The back and
forth rings very true for me. J
Anyway, Somers got attacked and Laurel has whipped up a storm.
She will be protected. End of discussion. Laurel tries again, but Quentin gives
it right back. She's doing her job. That's great. But he's doing his, too. Not
just as her dad, but as cop. Somers and company are more dangerous than Laurel
is willing to admit. And she's pissed them off.
You think?
SIDE NOTE:
See… I like the development here, but would love to see
more. What compels Laurel to go toe to toe with a guy like Somers? I don't know
it would be kind of nice to see a little more about what drives her to seek out
the biggest and baddest and take them on. Just saying.
Scene Shift
Hello China White…
Okay, we aren't told that's who meets with Somers, but if
you follow the comics, it can't be anyone else. And this chick is bad ass, but
she's also wrapped up in a pretty package. She's polite and very pleasant while
discussing business.
Example:
Somers: Thank you for coming.
China: Anything for a friend.
Somers: We're not friends. You smuggle drugs. I let you use
my port.
China: For which you're paid a lot of money.
Right. But not enough to have arrows shot at him. She needs
to take the guy seriously. He's a bigger threat to her operation than Nocenti
ever was. Only it's Nocenti's daughter who's proving to be a problem. And
unlike Martin's friend in the hood, they know where to find Emily. Somers had a
point about being an idiot. Laurel would never let it go if they take Emily
out. She won't stop until she burns Somers, China, and the entire triad to the
ground.
Fine. Then they kill Laurel.
Gee, Somers doesn't have any kind of problem with that.
Cue Commercial
ACT TWO
Oi… before getting to what Somers' attorney says, let's have
a reminder of what Oliver went through on the island.
Yeah, scars all over the place. I'm actually hoping we'll
get to see what happened to put all those jagged lines there. (Okay, I'm really
interested in the tattoos, too.)
Please note I used restraint and did NOT give in to the
temptation to post an image of the AOW. :D
Okay, so the attorney for Somers confirms he has no
intention of testifying. Oliver is not thrilled.
Proof
Somers maintains his innocence in Nocenti's death.
Enter Thea—who doesn't bother to knock on Ollie's door and
gets an eyeful of his battle wounds—much to Oliver's dismay.
And she asks the same question Tommy did. What happened to
him out there?
Oliver doesn't want to talk about it. Of course he doesn't.
He doesn't want to talk to Thea about anything… except her social life. And why
should she tell him where she's going? Her response prompts Oliver to
apologize. He needs to get better at talking about what happened to him, but
he's not ready yet. Okay?
Thea goes a little thoughtful, which is maybe about time,
right? Then she asks Oliver if he has a second. Yeah. Good. She wants to show
him something out back.
Scene Shift.
Random Commentary
The next bit with Oliver and Thea by the headstones is
actually pretty great. In something of a brief scene, the aftermath and effects
of losing Oliver and Robert is revealed. A month after the funerals, Moira
stopped going out. After that, she stopped talking altogether. The house got so
quiet, Thea used to head out to the burial plots and talk to her brother.
She'd talk about stupid stuff—what she did that day, what
boy she had a crush on, and sometimes… she'd ask, BEG, Oliver to find his way
home to her. Now he's here, and the truth is… she felt closer to him when he
was dead. Ouch. But a good point. And she gets it was hell where he was (maybe
not really, because seriously? How could she?), but it was hell at home, too.
Oliver needs to let her in. He needs to let SOMEONE in.
Gotta say, Willa does a great job here. I love how the show
isn't skimping on letting viewers see both sides of Oliver's absence. And
having Oliver so closed off, it helps to see his sister attempting to break
through, otherwise he runs the risk of coming off like a total asshat, which he
probably does, but his reasons for being one are valid.
He just can't share them. J
Scene Shift
Good to see Laurel taking the threat from Somers seriously.
If she's got police protection, who the hell would be knocking on her door?
Oliver, of course.
Their exchange is quite charming. Oliver wonders if she's
okay… there are two cop cars outside. And Laurel wonders how she's supposed to
stay away from him if he won't stay away from her.
What is he doing there?
Well, see, Thea pointed out he's been distant since he got
back and he should probably let somebody in. His utter awkwardness is too
awesome for words. And of course Laurel blasts him. So he thought he'd start
with the first person he pushed away. He did that to protect her, but when he
saw her the day before, he realized he'd hurt her. As far as being enlightened
goes, Oliver doesn't totally suck. Much. J And it works. Laurel lets him in.
SIDE NOTE:
Has anyone noted how stiff Oliver's bearing is? I mean, he
holds himself very rigid, like he's waiting for some horrible event to occur. I
rather like that.
Back to recappage.
So, Laurel's apartment hasn't changed in five years. Gee,
Oliver, she hasn't had time to redecorate.
Oliver: I'm a jerk. Before the island, I was a jerk. And
now, I just a… damaged jerk.
*meep*
Time for a subject change. What's in the bag?
Oliver thought about many things on the island, but there
was one thing he thought about every day. He actually dreamed about it… and he
promised himself if he ever got a chance to do it again, he'd do it with
Laurel.
Get your minds out of the gutter people… Oliver wants to eat
ice cream with her. LOL
And a lovely little
twisty smile from Laurel.
Pan to a little later…
The ice cream is as good as Oliver remembers. Maybe
unloading some of his turmoil will be good, too? He confesses Moira wants him
to join the company, yeah, take his rightful place. Laurel can't exactly
picture him as master of the universe.
You know, after five years, Oliver has plans. Things he has
to do. He can't do them if he's attending board meetings and stockholder
briefings. I love Laurel's response:
"Oliver, you're an adult. You can say no."
Oh, yeah, he tried. Didn't take. Okay, then. Don't tell
Moira. Show her. Be the person you want her to see you as. Oliver should trust
Laurel, she's got plenty of experience with disapproving parents.
No shit. Oliver's been on the receiving end of her father's
disapproval. Eh, Lance blames himself more than he blames Oliver. Maybe if
Lance and Sara were closer, she would've told him about the boat trip… and he
could've stopped her from going with Oliver.
O: I am sorry.
L: You apologized already.
O: It'll never be enough.
Thank goodness the long awkward moment afterward is
interrupted by a sound coming from another room.
Oliver hears it and stealthily grabs a butter knife
(Seriously?) from the table and grabs Laurel and it's ACTION STATIONS!! (Sorry…
probably the wrong recap for that phrase. LOL). Someone's on the fire escape
and all hell breaks loose. The front door crashes open and bullets start
flying. Oliver and Laurel turn and head for her bedroom. SMASH! A guy dives in
through the window and more bullets follow Oliver and Laurel out of the room.
Enter China White with her wicked blades. Oliver's stuck. He
makes a move with Laurel to find another escape and comes face to face with one
of her goons. Two shots strike him from behind and Diggle joins the fray. He
takes out the other guy from the bedroom, but CW jabs him in the hand with one
of her blades. They go hand to hand and toe to toe, with CW getting the upper
hand. She's got Diggle on the floor ready to strike a death blow.
Oliver saves the day with the butter knife, flinging it
across the room, with precision aim I might add, and knocks CW's blade from her
hand, much to Diggle's shock. CW makes a mad dash for parts unknown.
Laurel runs safely into Oliver's arms and Diggle grabs his
gun then checks to make sure Oliver if all right. See… it's not such a bad idea
to have a bodyguard.
Oliver checks Laurel over and cue commercial break.
Random commentary.
Whew! Talk about kick ass action. I can't say enough about
how beautifully filmed and choreographed the fight scenes are. Adrenaline
pumping sequences for the win!
ACT THREE
The city shots are quite gorgeous. Just saying.
Back at Laurel's apartment… the coroner's office is on scene
removing bodies. Lance makes his way through the chaos to Laurel. Happy reunion
time. She's okay… what about the two cops Lance put on her? Lance shakes his
head. Diggle went outside to ask for a light and both were dead. Laurel is
mortified, as she should be.
Lance thanks Diggle. He's got a free pass to run as many red
lights in the city as he wants. Diggle was just doing his job. No, his job is
to protect Oliver. Seems like whenever Oliver is with one of Lance's daughters,
people die.
Gotta give Oliver credit… he doesn't face plant the
detective. Instead, he's very calm and quiet.
Oliver better stay away from Laurel or Lance promises the
next time Oliver disappears, it'll be permanently. Harsh, dude, harsh. Laurel
jumps in to defend, but Lance doesn't want to hear it. It's okay. Oliver
understands. Lance is like, yeah, whatever.
Scene shift to Queen Manor (or whatever the hell you refer
to the hugenormous house as).
Diggle's nursing his wounded hand and Oliver tosses a bag of
ice his way. He'd thank Diggle, but that wouldn't really cover it. Like Digg
told Oliver's cop friend *gigglesnort* he was just doing his job. Besides…
Diggle thinks it should be Oliver that he's thanking. Of course, Oliver plays
dumb. What for? Duh, dumbass, the knife. Ah… the knife. Oliver got lucky.
Lucky, Digg's ass. That was a kitchen knife, not even weighted properly. Oliver
threw it for accuracy across a ten foot room. Exactly. Oliver got lucky.
Digg's not stupid. And he's not the kind of man Mr. Queen wants to take for a fool, does
Oliver understand? Yes. Diggle thinks he's beginning to understand the kind of
man Oliver is. Shouldn't take Digg very long. Oliver is shallow. And very
tired, so… good night.
Digg's all like, dude, whatever, good night, sir.
Shift scene to the Foundry aka Oliver's lair. He's gearing
up and expositioning…
I wanted to give
Martin Somers the chance to confess and face the court's justice. But he chose
to go after someone I care about instead. He's still going to face justice.
It'll just be a different kind.
Ha! Somers isn't stupid. He's…
—packing his shit to get out of Dodge, or in this case
Starling City.
—since the Triad bitch screwed up the on Laurel, the Triad
is going to erase every scrap of evidence of their smuggling operation,
including Somers. Well, duh.
—Too bad Wallace can't get the ship ready for Somers to
flee…
"Wallace isn't here… but I am."
No shit you need to move, Martin. And you betcha, six men
aren't enough to stop Oliver from coming after you.
Shift scene.
*sigh* Quentin, your daughter is stubborn. How do you not
know this?
—She's not going to go into the courtroom and recuse
herself. And she's not done.
—If he doesn't know she won't abandon Emily Nocenti, he doesn't
know her very well. (See above question.)
—Laurel doesn't know him either. He'll lock her in a cell if
that's what it takes.
—That's what it'll take then.
Stalemate. Fun times.
And Lance goes a off a little. After what happened to Sara,
he thought Laurel would stop being so reckless. Interesting bit of information.
And five years later? Oliver sure drags up a lot of emotions, no?
And from Laurel's POV, it's not about being reckless. Just
the opposite. She's trying to make the city safer, just like Lance. And well,
okay, he gets that. But she's his only daughter and all he has left to live
for. But he wants from her isn't living. (< Note this… it'll be important
later). To sum up their argument…
—Having cops around doesn't let her do her job
—Her job isn't going after people like the Triad or Martin
Somers
—Her job is to use the law to fight for what's right.
Just like he taught her. And yeah, it's dirty, using his
words against him, but it's also big time effective. Anyway, she can't do that.
Well, maybe she picked that up along the way, too. And they're saved by Lance's
phone going off…
RANDOM COMMENTARY
Before getting to the phone call, gotta say I quite enjoyed
watching the interaction between Quentin and Laurel. They go after each other
and hit where it hurts, yet the underlying depth of their caring is there, too.
Nicely done, show!
BACK TO RECAP
Lance's call is about a report from the wharfside, something
going on at Somers Imports.
No shit. Bullets and arrows are flying everywhere and Oliver
is taking out guys left and right. Four in a row, with a fifth on the way,
bringing his count up to six if you count Wallace. Somers called it earlier.
Oliver cut his men down and barely broke a sweat. And he's on the trail of
Somers who ducks out of the way, hoping to flee.
Oliver's not gonna let that happen…
Cue commercial break…
ACT FOUR
And action! Oliver chases Somers and traps him with an arrow
inside a warehouse? No idea. Anyway, Somers is all, Oh God. No, no, no. And
Oliver assures Martin God can't help him.
Arrow number two flies and tags Martin again. Oliver wants
the truth about Victor Nocenti. Somers can't. The Triad will kill him. The
triad isn't his concern right now. Arrow three goes flying. Okay, okay. Somers
didn't kill Nocenti, the Triad did. Acting on whose instructions? Long pause…
Arrow four takes off and hits just above Martin's head. WHOSE??? All right, all
right, mine. It was mine, all right? Nocenti said he'd testify against Somers.
Dude, you totally gave away China's position.
Hmm. Oliver speaks Chinese? Interesting.
Anyway, China tells Oliver to move away from Somers. Oliver
says "Make me, bitch." (Okay, I added the bitch part.)
And once again, a kick ass fight scene gets underway.
They're pretty evenly matched. Gotta love that. The SCPD arrive on scene. China
and Oliver are still battling it out. Cop cars rolling in. More fighting.
Somers is stuck like hog on a spit and can't go anywhere. More fighting and
China finally gets something of an upper hand…
"This is the police. Drop your weapons. You're
surrounded."
Oliver and China haul ass in opposite directions and vacate
the building. Oliver goes jumping and climbing over shipping containers and
finally hits the pavement and meets Lance coming out from behind one.
"Freeze!"
Oliver pauses.
"You twitch and you're dead."
Long ass standoff pause.
"Bow down. Hands up."
Nah. Oliver doesn't like that order. Instead, he grabs a
smaller arrow and flings it, catching Lance's gun and sticking it to a shipping
container. Lance looks back and finds nothing but air. Oliver's gone. But his
arrow has a blinking green light. Oliver recorded something. Lance can't resist
and presses the button. Somers' confession plays out. Son of a bitch.
Wait, Lance. Oliver just scored one for the good guys. Cut
him some slack. *snorts* Right. Like that'll happen.
Should be fun for Lance to explain how he got the recording,
yeah?
Shift scene…
Oliver's back at the Foundry…
Laurel was right. I
can't be the Oliver my mother wants me to be and still keep the promise I made
to my father. I have to be the person I need them to see me as.
Shift scene to the dedication for the Applied Sciences Center.
—Tommy snark is out in full force. Okay, this is a surprise.
Did you show up here by mistake?
—No, Laurel showed up by invitation. Oliver invited her last
night.
—Ha… is that surprise or jealously she's hearing.
—Tommy just doesn’t want Oliver to find out anything. He's
been through a lot.
—They've all been through a lot.
Walter gets the show on the road, thanks everyone for coming
to the future site of the Robert Queen Memorial Applied Sciences Center, the
building will stand as a monument to the man whose company and vision are his
greatest legacies.
Whoa, wait? What about Oliver. He's a legacy, right? The
looks on Tommy and Laurel's faces are priceless. Oliver definitely took
Laurel's advice and decided to show Moira he's not the man for the job, and oh
my quiver full of arrows, he totally succeeds. He's so obnoxiously full of
himself and smarmy—he's famous, read a newspaper, watch television, etc.—until
he gets to his exact point—he's not much of a legacy.
He's not his father.
He's not the man he was. He's not half the man he was. He
never will be. So… please… stop asking him to be.
'Nuff said.
Seriously, it's actually an awesome moment. Moira finally
gets it. Thea is kind of 'who are you and where did you put my brother', and I'm
pretty sure Laurel and Tommy are looking around for the pod. LOL Diggle is the
only one who seems pretty unaffected when he takes off after Oliver steps down
from the dais.
But Oliver is VERY much affected.
Cue commercial break…
FINAL ACT
WEBG is reporting Martin Somers, CEO of Starling Port (Hmm.
I thought it was Somers Imports from Lance's phone call, but eh, I could be
wrong.) was arrested last night for the murder of Victor Nocenti and is also
accused of accepting cash, including over ten million dollars in bribes.
Joanna turns off the report and sums everything up. Emily
can pursue a civil case, but the DA has no choice but to prosecute Somers because
of his confession. Martin's going to jail for the rest of his life. Emily
thanks Laurel for fighting for them, and Laurel returns the gesture, thanking
Emily for being brave enough to let her.
More father/daughter love when Lance stops by…
L: I thought I didn't need police protection anymore.
Q: I thought I didn't need a reason to stop by and see my
daughter.
L: You don't. [gets a good look at her dad] Hmm. You look
tired.
Q: Yeah, I was filling out reports about a shootout at the
port last night, and getting grilled about how I let that… archer… get away.
L: I have to admit, I'm kinda glad he did. He brought down
Martin Somers.
Q: He hurt a bunch of people doing it, okay? He is no hero.
He's an anarchist.
L: Yeah, well, whoever he is, it seems like he's trying to
help.
Q: The city doesn't need that kind of help, okay? It's like
I always told you, you don't have to go outside the law to find justice.
He really believes that. And when he catches the guy, he'll
believe it, too.
Shift scene…
Oliver's at home and has his dad's book. He crosses off
Somers' name.
FLASHBACK
Carrying his dad over a rocky outcrop, Oliver stops and puts
Robert down. He discovers the book tucked in a pocket and flips through the
pages. They're pristine and white, very unlike the pages he's crossing name off
from.
Except for one page… it shows a symbol
Cut back to PRESENT TIMELINE
A black limousine pulls up beside Moira's silver Mercedes
and she gets into the vehicle and has a conversation with a mystery man…
M: Well, you saw for yourself, my son knows nothing. Robert
didn't tell him anything that could hurt us. He has no idea that the yacht was
sabotaged.
Hmmm… same symbol, different place…
RANDOM COMMENTARY
Wow, I can't wait to see where this all goes. Moira's cagey
behavior has my Arrow Sense going all tingly. She has Oliver kidnapped with
imminent torture, right? Did she sabotage the yacht? I mean she knew Oliver was
going to be on it, right? That's cold-blooded, man. Yet she doesn't come across
as anything more than a loving mom for the most part. Yeah, I'm really
interested in where this all goes.
Shift scene…
Oliver has workers in the back where the headstones are… but
has a final good-bye with his dad, first.
All that time on the
island, plotting my return, and… I didn't realize how hard it would be… to
reconnect with Mom, Thea… Laurel. Okay, and I didn't… I didn't know how painful
it would be to keep my secrets. You asked me to save this city, to right your
wrongs. I will. I swear. But to do that, I can't be the Oliver everyone wants
me to be, which means that sometimes… to honor your wishes, I need to dishonor
your memory. I'm sorry.
Oliver orders the workers to take his headstone down and
walks across the yard.
Digg: Will you be going out tonight, sir?
Oliver: Definitely.
FLASHBACK
Oliver buries his dad under a pile of rocks and stands over
the site. Then, THWAP!! Holy shit! He's struck through the shoulder by an arrow
and howls in pain…
By this guy…
The guy notches another arrow and Oliver either passes out
or pretends to…
FADE TO ARROW
So… excellent episode, right? I've got a lot of questions
and I want some answers, but I'm very willing to be patient. I'll be pondering
Moira's involvement in everything until the next recap. :D
Geeky Fan Connections
Walter: Doug Greer (LOUK), Dr. Moon from Doctor Who, David
Tyrel (Hex), Charles Robinson (Bond Movies, Brosnan era)
Somers: Ty Olsson Captain Kelly (BSG) and, geez, a million
other genre shows
China White: Kelly Hu (A crap ton of genre shows)
Detective Lance: Harry Dresden (Dresden Files), Larry
(Warehouse 13 Xmas ep)
Know of any others? Fill me in!!
That's it fangirls and boys. Stay tuned!
Sky
