Thankfully, this episode delivers a jolt of energy that hints at good things to come.
John Diggles back in the Army.
Thea Queens working as Olivers beleaguered press secretary.
Credit: Bettina Strauss/The CW
Quentin Lance has crawled into a bottle of booze and stayed there.
Felicity… well, Felicitys moved on, too.
The season opens with the new SCPD captain hassling Thea over why the mayors late for the police gala.
he asks, and I dont hate the show going back to the millionaire playboy Oliver Queen cover story.
See, Olivers mayoral term isnt going well.
Yep, its old-school Oliver.
Instead of an introduction to Kovar, though, he gets tased for killing the Bratvas best fighter.
Back in Star City, Felicitys put together a dossier on hockey mask, whom theyre calling Wild Dog.
She tells Oliver to stop shooting him and instead bring him (along with Evelyn Sharp and Mr. Olivers all, nah, my teamll reassemble aaaaany minute now.
Lance tosses Oliver a paper with the best-ever headline: Mayor Handsome misses city council meeting.
Thank you, anonymousStar City Starcopy editor; your snark is appreciated.
(Also, did we know that the town newspaper was calledThe Star City Star?
But Lance just scoffs, And cover up this beautiful face with a mask?
He pours a drink instead, then declines Olivers invitation to attend Laurels memorial ceremony.
Its probably best I dont turn up and embarrass her memory.
God, thats depressing.
For five months, youve been frozen in amber, Felicity says.
you oughta move forward.
Sadly, the dweller in the depths doesnt show, but Quentin Lance does, melting my heart.
Then he reveals an enormous, waterside statue of Laurel-as-Canary.
Its… its not good, guys.
I mean, its notLucille Ball statue bad, but its a little… Soviet mural blocky, somehow.
DAMMIT, AQUAMAN, WHERE WERE YOU?
I have it on pretty good authority that hes tied up right now.
In retaliation, Church sends Oliver to be taught a lesson by one of the corrupt cops.
Oh, c’mon.
Oliver Queen laughs in the face of a beating from a soft-handed Star City cop.
Cant you bring a knife next time?
Lance tells her that he gets it.
He lost his job and his daughter and his girlfriend.
Quentin Lance: the hero Star City deserves.
In the hostage factory, Olivers still bound to the chair.
Gee, how will he ever escape?
The bad cop promises to make him Mayor Not-So-Handsome, and HOW DARE YOU, SIR?
Theas shocked that her brothers back to killing, but Oliver argues that he had to protect his cover.
Also, he regrets not using lethal force on Darhk.
Maybe if Id have shown a little less restraint, Laurel would still be alive.
Lets do this, people.
Flashback: Anatoly tries to talk Oliver out of killing Kovar.
The man has an army, and Olivers likely to die.
Then he drops a Russian proverb: A shark that does not swim, drowns.
He tells Oliver that the promise he made was in the past, and he needs to move forward.
We can get through this together.
Back at the Laurel statue, Oliver and Lance have a heart-to-heart.
I was never a Laurel fan, but Im also not made of stone.
Time to rescue the hostages.
(Walking Deadshout out?
Well know for sure if he calls it Lucille.)
Wait, how long has it been?
Didnt Church wonder how the mayor managed to murder his guard and escape?
He and Church tussle in the open helicopter door, which always seems like a bad idea.
Church shoves him out, but as he falls, Oliver fires a parachute arrow and lands safely.Parachute.
Thank you, show.
He puts them in charge of the ACI and says theyll report directly to the mayor.
So a politician has a private police force?
Thats… potentially problematic, under ordinary circumstances.
Anyone who disagrees is dispatched with extreme prejudice.
In the Arrowcave, Oliver surprises the heck out of Felicity by finally agreeing to recruit new team members.
This is when Curtis strolls in, rocking some nasty bruises, and asks to be recruited, too.
Anatoly delivers Oliver to a cadre of Bratva men.
If Ollie survives the beating, hell get to start the process of becoming Bratva.
It should be noted that the pack contains four big dudes, one with a knife.
However, Ollie confesses to Digg that hes not so sanguine about the situation with Felicity.
I already hate him.
And I dont know about you, but I cannot wait to get more backstory on him.
Thoughts for your quiver:
