Arrow – Life Sentence

By: Stacy Miller

Officer Parks (Josh Byer) one of Diaz’s dirty cops is surprised to see the Green Arrow at SCPD. “You got to be a special kind of stupid to come here alone,” he says. “I’m not here alone,” Oliver (Stephen Amell) says.  Team Arrow fight through the police on Diaz’s payroll demanding the location of their boss as Diaz’s clearly isn’t in the building.

Oliver briefs his team. Rene (Rick Gonzalez) is confused why Oliver is talking with FBI Agent Watson (Sydelle Noel) without wearing his mask. Oliver announces that they all have immunity as the FBI realizes that Diaz is the real threat. Then, Oliver calls Anatoly (David Nykl) to find out Diaz’s next move. Anatoly comments how Oliver was able to turn foe (FBI) into friend. When Ricardo (Kirk Acevedo) returns to the car, Anatoly pretends that he was talking with his sister on the phone. A suspicious Diaz asks Anatoly how he was able to avoid the FBI raid. Anatoly says that he got hungry and produces a bag of food. Diaz tells Anatoly that he’s launching a counteract and bringing three Bow Hunters, deadly killers that even the League of Assassins are afraid of.

At SCPD, Oliver gives John (David Ramsey) a copy of the Green Arrow suit that he had made. John assures that it wasn’t about the costume but what it represents and having two Green Arrows will diminish the Green Arrow’s importance. Oliver apologizes for the part he played in the separation of the team. Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) happily watches as John and Oliver shake hands. Anatoly arrives at the SCPD and announces that he’s there to turn himself in (he winks at Oliver). In truth, Anatoly is there to provide information about the Bow Hunters and where Diaz plans to launch his counteract. Oliver texts FBI Agent Watson with Diaz’s location.

At the mayor’s office, Quentin (Paul Blackthorne) is signing a document that gives the FBI jurisdiction to operate in Star City. Diaz calls Quentin and demands that he get the FBI out of his (Diaz) city or Laurel (Katie Cassidy) dies. Quentin tells Diaz to go to Hell.

Meanwhile, Diaz taunts Laurel that Quentin doesn’t care about her as much as he did his real daughter. She could have left town but she came back for a faux father who’s willing to let her die.

Rene, FBI Agent Watson, and a rookie cop find themselves trapped in a building full of laser explosives. Thinking he’s going to die, Rene calls his daughter Zoe to tell her how proud he is of her. Diaz calls Anatoly and warns that because of his (Anatoly) betrayal, the people in that warehouse will die in a blink of an eye.  But he’s going to make Anatoly’s death last for days. Although Diaz triggers the explosives, FBI Agent Watson, Rene and the rookie (who briefly freezes but is pulled to run by Rene) make it out of the building alive.

Later at the SCPD, Oliver tells Rene that he is glad that he (Rene) is okay and says how he thought of Rene as a thug when they first met. The moment between Oliver and Rene is their way of mending fences. Diaz calls Quentin again.  He taunts that he realizes when Quentin told him to go to Hell, he thought he (Diaz) was going to be caught by the FBI. Diaz delivers his original order for Quentin to get the FBI to leave his city or Laurel dies. Quentin demands to see Laurel so he’ll have proof of life. Oliver and Quentin share a moment in which Oliver tells Quentin that he was able to beat that lie detector test a few year ago when Quentin arrested him was because he knew how to control his irregular heartbeat. Quentin tells Oliver that his (Quentin) pacemaker helps him do the same.

When John, Oliver and FBI Agent Watson secretly joins Quentin on his meeting with Diaz, Lance ruins their chance of capturing Diaz.  But Oliver realizes that Quentin made a point of talking about his pacemaker because he knew Felicity could trace it. Next moment Oliver shares is with Dinah (Juliana Harkavy), who he thanks for putting aside her revenge against Laurel for the mission. When they are alone, Felicity asks Oliver what’s with the Oliver Queen farewell tour. Felicity thinks that Oliver gave up being the Green Arrow to get them all immunity from the FBI.

Diaz orders Quentin to get on camera and tell the FBI to leave his (Diaz) city. He threatens to shoot Laurel. Quentin steps in front of Laurel and takes the bullet meant for her.

Team Arrow storm into the place where Diaz is keeping Laurel and Quentin. While Team Arrow fight Diaz’s henchmen, Dinah helps Laurel and Quentin escape. Diaz and Oliver faceoff outside on the roof. “This is my city!” Diaz shouts. Laurel appears on the roof and uses her canary cry to throw Ricardo Diaz off it and into the raging waters below. “What did you do?!” Oliver shout, “I had him!” Laurel tells Oliver that she ended it once and for all.  And if they’re lucky, there’s no way Diaz could have survived that fall.

Oliver tells FBI Agent Watson that Felicity programmed his gauntlet with a mini digital stifler so he was able to copy the data off that drive Diaz wore around his neck. So, they now have the name of everyone that was on Ricardo Diaz’s payroll and can take their city back. FBI Agent reminds Oliver that just because Diaz is in the wind, that doesn’t mitigate their deal. “I know,” Oliver says.

Oliver visits Quentin in the hospital.  He tells Quentin that Diaz got away. But on the bright side, the FBI is rounding up everyone that was on Ricardo Diaz’s payroll. Quentin realizes that Oliver made a huge sacrifice to get the city back.  Oliver tells Quentin he had to look at the way he was doing things and has to do penance for losing the city in the first place. Quentin calls Oliver that he (Oliver) a good father. “I had a good teacher,” Oliver says and he’s not talking about Robert Queen. Quentin is misty-eyed and thanks Oliver for everything as he is taken into surgery.

Sara Lance (Caity Loz) arrives at the hospital to find out about her father.  She meets the other Laurel and asks “Are you anything like my Laurel?” Laurel relies that she’s not.

While Team Arrow waits for word on Quentin, FBI Agent Watson enters with other agents. “Mr. Queen, it’s time,” she says. “Time for what?” Felicity asks confused. FBI Agent Watson explains that they (Team Arrow) still have immunity thanks to Oliver, but even though the judge threw out Queen’s case, it’s Federal so Oliver is arrested. Dr. Schwartz comes out of the OR to tell Team Arrow that Mayor Lance seized during the procedure and the surgeons weren’t able to revive him. “His brain loss oxygen for seven minutes. He’s gone.” Oliver confronts Sara. “I’m sorry but this doesn’t change our deal,” FBI Agent Watson tells Oliver. “Take care of everyone,” Oliver says as he is taken away.

At SCPD, FBI Agent Watson tells Oliver that the transport is late.  Felicity comes to visit her husband and tells Oliver that she and John have a plan to break him out. Oliver reminds that he’s being transferred to a maximum security prison and that everyone else including her would just be arrested. Oliver asks Felicity to send William (Jack Moore) in. Oliver tells his son to be strong.

As he is led out of the SCPD, Oliver gives a statement in which he admits to being the Green Arrow. He says that he denied it for so long and let people like Roy Harper and Tommy Merlyn take the blame for the things he’s done and for his crusade, which is to protect the city.  He adds that last night he dealt the enemy (We see that Ricardo Diaz survived the fall and is alive) a serious blow, but there is still work to be done so he’ll looking to his friends and allies to continue the work that he started, which is to protect the city.

Oliver arrives at the maximum security prison where shouts of “I will kill you” can be heard from the other prisoners, probably those that the Green Arrow is responsible for being locked up. Is this the end of the Green Arrow?