Arrow – Doppelganger

By: Stacy Miller

While Oliver (Stephen Amell) is going over the information about Cayden James, Thea (Willa Holland) and Oliver’s lawyer Jean Loring (Teryl Rothery) enter the mayor’s office. Jean tells Oliver that she has good news, which is that she thinks she can get the case against him dropped.  Jean explains that she reviewed the discovery and as the evidence against him was obtained through Cayden James, a known criminal “fruit of the poison tree” applies, meaning that if the person giving the evidence is tainted, so is the evidence. But the death of Cayden James makes no one able to corroborate the evidence against Rene (Rick Gonzalez). Jean tells Oliver that she be filing her motion to dismiss today. As good news is usually followed by bad, Quentin (Paul Blackthorne) interrupts telling Oliver that Laurel (Katie Cassidy) arrived at Star City PD. And not to turn herself in, she’s insisting that she is the real Laurel Lance and was kidnapped these last two years.

Reporters ask Ms. Lance questions about her ordeal, wanting to know why she was held against her will. Laurel says that maybe it was to get back at the Green Arrow. “Do you know who the Green Arrow is?” the reporters ask. Laurel rushes into Oliver’s arms. He plays along, insisting to the reporters that Ms. Laurel needs to spend some alone time with her family. Laurel is brought into an interrogation room with Thea, Oliver and Quentin. She tells them that she’ll pretend to be the real Laurel Lance and in exchange for them protecting her, she won’t reveal that Oliver is the Green Arrow.

Captain Hill (Tina Huang) tells Oliver that she has a way to raise the money that the city needs: If they sell some of the evidence/court property, at least thirty million can be raised. Oliver thanks Captain Hill for the idea and tells her to make it happen. After he leaves, Dinah (Juliana Harkavy) arrives. She asks Captain Hill to assign her to the Laurel Lance case.

Curtis (Echo Kellum) comes to Rene’s apartment and tells Zoe (Eliza Faria) that her dad was hurt and is in the hospital.

In the judge’s chamber, Jean learns that Rene is being removed from the witness list. Since he was the state’s only witness, Jean requests that her motion to dismiss be granted. But the motion is denied because Mr. Ramirez wasn’t their only witness. They have another witness that is in danger on both sides of the law, thus this meeting in the judge’s chamber. The state’s witness: Roy Harper (Colton Haynes).

At the Arrow Cave, Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) asks how the FBI even found Roy because they didn’t even know what Roy’s alias was. Oliver thinks that Diaz (Kirk Acevedo) or Anatoly (David Nykl) may be involved. Thea says they have to find Roy and protect him.

Quentin brings Black Siren some of Laurel’s clothes to wear.  He tells her that if she is to be convincing in this ruse, she has to adopt Laurel’s style. Dinah questions Dr. Schwartz (Venus Terzo) about the woman claiming to be Laurel Lance. Dr. Schwartz explains that DNA’s testing will determine if this woman is an imposter. But when Quentin isn’t looking, someone pretending to work for the hospital spirits Laurel away and tells her that he is taking her to see Mr. Diaz.

Suited up, John (David Ramsey) and Oliver locate Roy being held under police guard at a building across the one where they are standing on the roof.  Oliver feels guilty for Roy being in this mess because he chose to wear the suit to protect Oliver. John and Oliver return to the Arrow Cave. Thea is determined to go with them even though Oliver reminds that she’s hasn’t been field ready in a while. “It’s Roy,” Thea says, reminding that neither of them could fit in the vent. “Now where are you guys keeping my suit?” Thea asks.

Back on the roof top across from the building where Roy is being held, Oliver asks Thea whether she’s okay. “It’s like riding a bike,” Thea answers, all suited up in her red Speedy hood. Oliver creates a diversion for her and Thea makes her way across to the other building. She hides in the vent and witnesses Roy being beaten. When the dirty cops leave the room, Thea reveals herself to Roy and they share a kiss. Thea apologizes as she doesn’t know whether he is married or involved with someone. Roy assures that he took her advice and didn’t make any romantic entanglements. But no time to talk, Felicity tells Thea they SCPD is on its way so they have to get out of there. Roy reminds that he’s in no condition to be swinging on wires. Thea vows that she’s not leaving there without him. “Speedy get out of there!” Oliver shouts. But Thea won’t leave Roy again. With the police right outside the door, Thea gets in fight stance and aims her bow and arrow at the door. Suddenly, ropes wrap around her waist and a line pull her out of the window. Just in time too, as SCPD’s dirty cops burst through the door.  Thea is furious. “What did you do?” she angrily asks her brother. “I just saved your life,” Oliver answers. He promises that they will get Roy back.

John, Thea and Oliver return to the Arrow Cave. Thea says that Roy was bleeding internally and if they don’t get to him soon, they will kill him. Oliver reminds that Roy is going to be kept alive to testify against Oliver. Thea is still upset that Oliver pulled her out of there; he could have come in. Oliver says that it would have been just the two of them in a tight space and they wouldn’t have made it out. Thea says that she feels that even with everything bad that happened to her since her coma, knowing the Roy was safe out there made everything better. Felicity gets information that Roy is being removed by a prison transport to another safe house. Thea says that is when they will get him back.

Oliver returns to the SCPD and tells Dinah and Quentin that Diaz was the one who killed Cayden James.

Meanwhile, Anatoly reminds Laurel not to betray him or Diaz, who spars with Roy. Diaz tells Laurel that he controls everything; Cayden James was just a small piece of the puzzle. Diaz says that he doesn’t want her to worry about anything. “Anatoly said you had a plan to take over the city.”

John, Thea and Oliver ambush the transport vehicle.  But when they open the back door, Roy isn’t inside. It was a decoy. They return back to the Arrow Cave where Oliver continues to blame himself for Roy’s situation. Felicity reminds that putting on the hood and pretending to be the Green Arrow three years ago was Roy’s choice and she still believes it was the right decision.

Diaz asks Roy whether he wants to join us team. He says that his (Diaz) police officers are telling him that Roy isn’t cooperating. But Diaz knows there are ways besides for beating Roy to get him to see things their ways. Diaz comments that it’s interesting that Oliver Queen would allow his little sister “Speedy” to come out of retirement. Diaz threatens that Thea may be the way to get Roy to do what he wants.

Back at the Arrow Cave, Oliver tells Thea that John is getting A.R.G.U.S to help locate Roy. He suggests that Thea join Roy where ever he goes; she said that her life hasn’t been the same without him and even though Oliver would miss Thea, he doesn’t think she should be without Roy. John has the information where Roy is being held.

Laurel comes to Quentin’s apartment and gives him intel about Diaz.

John, Thea and Oliver converge on where Diaz is holding Roy. Arrows and Bullets begin flying. Thea engages in hand-to-hand combat with Diaz’s hired guns. Roy is carried out to a van. John and Oliver corner Anatoly. John tells Oliver that he has Anatoly. “Go help Thea,” John says. Outside, Thea is fighting Diaz. She holds her own for a while.  But soon, Diaz holds an arrow to her throat. Oliver arrives just in time. But when they hear police sirens in the background and Diaz reminds that all the cops aren’t on his payroll yet, Oliver orders Thea to get in the van and drive Roy out of there. As the cops arrive, Oliver realizes that he can’t bring Diaz to justice. The Green Arrow shoots an arrow into the air and escapes.

Oliver comes to see Laurel, who is staying at Quentin’s. She tells him that she’ll try to be a better person if he just gives her a chance.

Meanwhile, Thea brings Roy back to her apartment. But they are being watched by a mysterious woman who speaks into her com link and says “Master, I’ve located the heir of Ra’s al Ghul.”