(Olivers mask guy must ask zero questions when a new order rolls in.)
So Oliver leaves the A.R.G.U.S.
They join Malcolm and Nyssa on the beach, and nobodys terribly happy to be working with anybody else.
Credit: Dean Buscher /The CW
However, their bickering stops when an RPG drops from the sky to destroy their plane.
(Thea even reminds Oliver that theyre orphans because of him and Malcolm.)
But Olivers more focused on getting everyone off the island.
Felicity, in turn, leans in and kisses him.
When he asks what that was for, she replies, Just in case.
She regrets many things about their relationship but didnt want to add not kissing him to the list.
After all, Slades a guy who understands the importance (and difficulty) of self-forgiveness.
Felicitys gracious and says the reasons were complicated.
Shes clearly terrified but refuses to let Malcolm take her place, so he simply knocks her aside.
Thea realizes hes on a suicide mission and tells him he doesnt have to prove anything to her.
From the moment you were born, all I ever wanted was to protect you, he tells her.
You may not think of me as your father, Thea, but youll always be my daughter.
This emotional moments cut short by a Digger boomerang embedding itself into a nearby tree.
Malcolm yells at his daughter and her friends to run.
Digger cant understand why Malcolms just standing out in the open, and Malcolm gives one last smirk.
Let me show you.
But… Malcolm… Malcolm couldnt have… NOOOOOO!
Curtis truly terrible Tattoo impression of de plane!
En route to the temple, Oliver and Slade spot afamiliar plane wreck.
Its like you cant even trust former frenemies you pull from an A.R.G.U.S.
Oliver joins John, Quentin, Dinah, and Rene in chains.
But hey, Oliver just happens to have the dampener-defeating rig that Curtis mocked up for the Canary.
Actually, its Black Canary, Quentin corrects (aww!)
as Dinah does her thing to free them all.
Talia hears the Canary Cry, but before she can investigate, Nyssa rolls in.
They circle each other and air grievances about their crappy childhoods.
Its all very Gamora/Nebula fromGuardians of the Galaxy 2.
Then the women draw their swords and fight.
Nyssa gains the upper hand, causing Talias minions to move in, but Slade stops them.
Nyssa knocks her sister out and snaps at Slade, Youre late.
Ooh, triple cross!
Slades pretend betrayal allowed Oliver to give Dinah the Canary machine and let Slade search for William.
And at last, Adrian Chase enters the scene, complete with Prometheus music.
Oliver vows that hell never give Chase the satisfaction of killing him.
The camera roams across the battlefield, which is a flurry of precisely choreographed action.
Flashback: Oliver kills Kovars goons and then guns downs a helicopter, as you do.
So he tosses it aside and prepares for a bare-knuckle brawl to the death.
Unfortunately, Kovars got a knife.
Now we cut to present-day fighting.
Dinah and Black Sirens competing Canary Cries blow them in opposite directions, Newtons Law-style.
Black Siren gets to her feet first, gloating, You thought you could replace me?
Seriously, that poor man has gone on ajourneyover the last few hours.
Both fights end with Oliver wrapping his arms around his opponents neck in the spine-snapping position.
In the present, Oliver screams at Chase to tell him where William is.
(And whaddya know, the jacket on the island skeleton looks a lot like Kovars.)
Thats not who I am now.
Oooh, buddy, I hope this character development sticks in season 6.
Imagine an Oliver Queen unburdened by mountains of guilt.
Gives you chills, doesnt it?
Chases next gambit is announcing that William is dead.
Oliver calls his bluff as an attempt to manipulate Oliver into murder.
But again he says, I am never going to be the person you want me to be.
Felicity then contacts the team to warn them about the bombs spread across the island.
Worse, shes discovered that theyre linked to a dead mans switch.
If Chase dies, they all die.
Rubbing himself with dirt, he transforms into someone whos been cast away for five years.
Today, he runs along the same path and witnesses Chase escaping on a boat.
Chase gasps out, For an absentee father, your devotion is impressive.
And okay, lets take a moment to discuss the weak point in an otherwise outstanding finale: William.
Youve still got that familial bond, but its imbued with five seasons of audience connection, too.
And sure enough, we see the team realize that the planes been sabotaged.
Via the comms, Oliver instructs Slade to lead them to an A.R.G.U.S.
supply ship on the other side of the island, where they can escape.
Either way, Chase wants to prove his argument that everything Oliver touches dies.
In the end, Oliver shoots Chase in the leg and pulls William into his arms.
Shes dressed for an evening out and at first thinks its a cruel prank.
Tears streak through the dirt on Olivers face as he explains that he didnt die five years ago.
Oh, my beautiful boy, she breathes as she starts to let herself believe.
He assures her that hes coming home.
And Lian Yu erupts in great geysers of flames.
