SPOILER ALERT! (stop reading if you don’t want to know what happens in this episode)
We were left with a cliffhanger at the end of this interesting episode… but what else is new? It seemed to be an episode of repercussions and we got one of the sweetest moments of the season thus far. Check out the recap below!
The Flashback
In Hong Kong, Oliver is giving his statement in regards to what happened with retrieving the Omega bio weapon. General Shrive comes in and tells Oliver he’s free to go and he can now go wherever he wants. Oliver is at the pier about to board a boat back home and he says his goodbyes to Maseo, Tatsu and their son. As their walking to the ship Maseo notices the men and there’s a shootout while Oliver runs Tatsu and the boy to cover. There are too many men and Oliver takes the gun and covers them while Maseo and his family try to escape. The gunfire gets too intense that Maseo and Tatsu get across but Oliver and the boy can’t. Maseo tells him to get his son to safety and Oliver runs the opposite way with a screaming, kicking child.
Thea Tells
Ra’s al Ghul is just chilling in a huge tub (which I’m pretty sure is the Lazarus Pit) when Nyssa comes storming in telling him that Oliver is still alive and wants to know why he isn’t dead. He tells her that he knows he’s alive but he also knows Oliver didn’t kill Sara. Nyssa, all in her emotions, believes Oliver still deserves to die because he went against him and lied.
Back in Starling City, Malcolm is training with Oliver and Thea and tells Oliver he has a lot of things to work on since he thought he could bring a bow to a sword fight. They’re interrupted by Diggle who’s all like “no new friends” followed by Laurel. Diggle tells them the club is done being secured and Malcolm recommends they move there but Thea nor Oliver want to. He tells him they’re both stubborn and it comes from their mother’s side.
Roy finds Thea obviously upset about something and tells him about Oliver telling her she killed Sara. He tells her he knows and tells her about the cop he killed when he was under Mirakuru. She tells him that he doesn’t have to see the cop’s father every day and she doesn’t believe it will get easier.
Thea decides to go see Laurel and tells her about Malcolm drugging her and making her kill Sara. Laurel tells her that it wasn’t her fault and asks her why she’s still working with him. She tells her about you know that one major issue hanging over their head, the League.
Laurel goes to Oliver emotional about Sara and tells him that finding her killer is what’s keeping her going. Oliver lies right to her face and tells her that they’ll find her killer soon. She calls him out on his lie and tells him that her issue is with Malcolm not Sara. He tells her that he needs him to save his sister and she tells him that she doesn’t even remember a time when she actually loved him.
Oliver returns to the loft upset that Thea told Laurel about killing Sara. He starts quoting Malcolm and she tells him that they’re not in danger because Malcolm is going to face justice. We cut to Malcolm walking down an alley when Laurel comes running out of the shadows thinking she can take him down. He takes her down and she pulls out a gun when assassins drop out of the sky and Nyssa appears. She tells Laurel to step back as she and Malcolm fight. She knocks him out and the guys carry him away as she tells Laurel that her fight is admirable but her sister’s death has been avenged.
Ray has been hiding away for a week working on the ATOM suit when Felicity finds him and tells him needs to get some rest since his delirium almost blew up the building. He tells her he can’t, he has to finish the suit and she leaves without putting up a fight.
Oliver returns to the lair pissed at Laurel for going after Malcolm. Diggle thinks that Malcolm will show the video of Thea killing Sara but Oliver doesn’t believe he will. He tells them that they need to save him because in the end it will greatly effect Thea in the long run. Felicity jumps on finding out where they took him while Laurel tells Oliver he’s crazy. He tells her she doesn’t have to be there and she leaves as Felicity gives him their location.
Oliver arrives just as Nyssa and crew are trying to board the helicopter. She tells them to go ahead and get Malcolm on the helicopter while she goes toe to toe with Nyssa. He restrains her with rope, as the helicopter carrying Malcolm (who put up a good fight might I add) takes off. Oliver tries to stop it but it’s too late and Nyssa tells him he’ll never see him again.
Oliver takes her back to the lair and locks her up. Diggle asks him if they’re going to do a trade but he tells him that Ra’s won’t go for it. Laurel enters asking if he’s going to torture her. He asks for the room and Diggle clears everyone out telling him not to lose his soul trying to save Thea’s. He asks Nyssa where Malcolm is and she gives up the location easily because she tells him he’ll die there.
He tells the team what Nyssa told him and of course everyone is team no-go because they think it’s a suicide mission. Diggle isn’t buying anything that Oliver is saying and thinks there’s more to his motives for going to save Malcolm. Diggle returns home and tells Lyla about Oliver and she asks if he plans to go. He tells her he doesn’t but she convinces him he needs to because the last time Oliver left and didn’t return he blamed himself.
Thea confronts Oliver about going to save Malcolm and he tells her he’s doing it for her. She tells him that she can live with it but not if he dies for her. He tells her he won’t die and tells her both of their parents died because of him and that’s something he has to live with forever. He leaves and finds Diggle in the alley who’s persistent on going with him and Oliver doesn’t put up a fight.
Felicity returns locking him out of the company’s network forcing him to take a break, shower, eat and sleep. After a shower and food he thanks her, shirtless because why not, and she gives him the password. Felicity eventually goes in for a kiss and it turns into a makeout session which leads to the bedroom.
At Nanda Parbat Malcolm begs for his life and asks Ra’s to let him work for him once again. He tells him to have some honor because he must pay for his crimes with blood and agony. He tells his men to take him away as Malcolm screams no. Oliver and Diggle go in with a plan of surprise but they’re spotted and start taking out the guards before they get to the compound before they do but one escapes. They get into the compound and take out the guards as they make their way to Malcolm tracking him with a tracer Oliver put on him months ago. They find a bloody Malcolm hanging over coals and they go to try to get him down but he tells, or whispers rather, that it’s a trap. They turn just as Ra’s appears and locks them behind a cage.
Oliver wakes up and finds himself and Diggle chained in a dungeon which makes this a perfect time for a heart to heart (and the cutest moment of the season!). Oliver tells him that everytime he closes his eyes he sees and feels the fall. He couldn’t live with knowing there was someone out there that beat him. Diggle tells him that Ra’s got in his head. Oliver asks him about the favor he had and in the cutest moment ever Diggle tells him
Back at the lair Laurel talks with Nyssa and tells her that once Malcolm is dead that little bit of Sara she was holding onto will disappear too. Nyssa tells her a story about when she first fell in love with Sara and Laurel thanks her. Meanwhile, Thea is with Roy sitting outside a house which we find out is the cop’s family. He tells her that he gives them money and buys them groceries. She thanks him for showing her this but the cop and Sara aren’t the same thing. She tells him she knew exactly who and what Malcolm was when she let him into her life and maybe she is a killer and deserves to be punished.
After having sex Ray wakes up re-energized (obvi) and goes back to working on the suit solving his problem. He puts it on, takes it outside and goes for a ride. Thea pays Nyssa a visit and tells her she lied about Malcolm killing Sara and she’s the one who killed Sara. She opens the cage and gives her a sword telling her to take her vengeance.
Back on Nanda Parbat Ra’s has Oliver on his knees and pulls out his sword. Oliver tells him to kill him but spare Diggle and Ra’s responds by telling him that it’s time for Oliver to take his place.
Some takeaways…
– This episode was interesting. A lot happened even though it may seem like it didn’t. Maybe I was expecting some big ordeal or something but nope. At this point Malcolm is still alive and I honestly don’t think he’s dying anytime soon.
– We were left with a pretty big cliffhanger so of course I had to do a little research and apparently Ra’s is telling Oliver that the threat of the League depends on if he accepts his offer. Will be pretty interesting to see how that plays out. It also looks like we’re finally going to see the Lazarus Pit.
– It’s been a very, I want to say, chaotic third season. So much has happened that I feel like this season should be two. I partly blame the breaks on this. I don’t know what they have planned for the season finale but I feel like my heart may not be able to take it.
