SPOILER ALERT! (stop reading if you don’t want to know what happens in this episode)
Oliver is struggling trying to put together a new team, Diggle finds himself in a bad situation and Thea tries to help get Quentin back on track. Check out my recap below!
The Flashback
Oliver wakes up in what he thinks is recruitment for Bratva but they’re immediately tasked with getting pass the Bratva members to ring the bell. After many failed attempts Oliver devises a plan so that one of them can ring the bell but when he makes it the other recruits are killed.
Oliver snatches up Wild Dog, Rene Ramirez, about to fall to his death chasing a bad guy. He tells him he needs to decide if he wants to be someone else or something else before dropping a note to meet the next night before disappearing. Oliver tells Curtis that when they start training he’s going to get it worse because he has zero street training. He also informs them that he and Felicity will be wearing masks because the recruits can’t know who they are.
The recruits, which also includes Curtis and Evelyn Sharp, show up but Rene isn’t feeling having to go through training. Their first task is to get past him and ring the bell but of course none of them make it. He runs this over and over and over.
A vice president from AmerTek is attacked by Ragman just after they announced they will sponsor Oliver’s healthcare clinic. AmerTek threatens to pull out but Oliver promises them full protection throughout the event.
The recruits start to get frustrated with getting beat up but Oliver tells them that he is teaching them. Felicity shows him footage from when the VP was attacked and she tells him he can’t protect everyone at the clinic on his own. She suggests he let the recruits surveil but not engage. Ragman shows up attacking the CEO and Oliver tries to catch I’m but Rene interferes and he gets away.
They head back to the lair and wait for Oliver but everyone turns on Rene because he didn’t follow orders. He shows them that he got a piece of Ragman’s clothing but Oliver storms in and lays into them. Felicity pulls him aside and tells him that he’s just prodding them but not giving them a reason plus Rene got them evidence.
Felicity takes the fabric to her new bf who’s also a detective and lies about where it came from to get his help determining where it came from. Oliver returns to the Arrow headquarters to find that Rene and Evelyn have quit. Curtis tells him that they don’t trust him which is why they left. He also tells Oliver about himself and tells him that he was wrong about trusting him before quitting too.
Oliver tells Felicity he failed the recruits but she tells him that they never got to meet him just an angry man in a mask. He tells her about his time in Bratva and how no one knew anyone’s name because then there can be no loss. She tells him that Oliver is the one who makes a good leader and he’s the reason the first team worked.
Thea spots the AmeTek CEO talking to Church and takes this back to Oliver. Felicity tells them that the clothing from the attacker is over 2000 years old and radioactive. She also tells them that AmerTek is trying to avoid going bankrupt. Thea suggests he take his new team with him to go after Church and the CEO but he tells her there is no team.
Oliver tracks down the exchange place by following Ragman. Ragman tells the CEO why he’s going to kill her while Oliver fights Church. Church gets the upper hand and Oliver asks Ragman for an assist and he saves him then tells him to stay out of his way. Oliver tells him it’s over and to let her go as the CEO runs off.
Oliver meets with Ragman and tells him that his father didn’t give up his life so that he’d become a killer. He tells him about how he’s failed his father and he doesn’t want to fail anymore. He tells him he’s needs a team and asks him they can avenge their fathers together.
He gets the recruits to return and reveals who he is telling them that he knows they need to trust him. They all agree to come back and try again.
A few takeaways…
- We got some Diggle this episode! Even though he’s in a shitty situation being framed for stealing illegal nuclear technology but I feel like that’s going to play a part in him returning to Star City. Not quite sure about when he’ll rejoin the team though; y’all know I’m team Diggle all the way.
- I’m glad Thea is trying to help Quentin because he needs some help.
- I’m excited to see what these new recruits will do out in the field. Although I love the original crew this one looks like it has some potential.
- Prometheus ain’t playing no games. Oliver has gotten out of a lot of sticky situations (he pretty much came back from the dead) but Prometheus looks like he don’t play.
How are you feeling about the new Team Arrow? Let me know below and on Twitter!
