Arrow – The Devil’s Greatest Trick

By: Stacy Miller

Oliver (Stephen Amell) and John (David Ramsey) arrive at a Cayden James (Michael Emerson) location where they find a communication transmission set up. Cayden James speaks to Oliver and tells him that he figured it would be compromised once he discovered that Mr. Sobel was a traitor. Oliver tells Cayden that he almost has the proof that he (Oliver) didn’t kill Cayden’s son and asks for more time. Time is a commodity Star City doesn’t have as Cayden James vows that he’ll designate the bomb at midnight. And then his son will get justice in the ashes of Oliver Queen’s beloved city.

Returning to the Arrow Cave, Oliver asks Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and Alena (Kacey Rohl) what they’ve been able to find out about the location of the bomb; they only have four hours to stop it. Alena reminds Oliver that he’s putting all his cards on getting the proof that he didn’t kill Cayden James’ son in order to reason with him. But what if he’s trying to reason with a man who’s beyond reasoning?

Cayden James tells Anatoly (David Nykl) and Laurel (Katie Cassidy) to stay close to their phones as they will be airlifted to safety when the bomb goes off. Then, their share of the ransom will be divided amongst them from the offshore accounts that he had set up for them in their names. “Thank you for helping to see this project to fruition.  I don’t think I need to stress how personal this has been for me. Thank you for all you’ve done to get justice for my boy.”

We get a flashback and see Cayden apologizing to his son Owen (Jesse Irving) for missing his basketball game for work. “Is that what we’re calling your weird hacker group now?” Owen asks his father. Cayden tells his son that what they do is important work.  But he wants to be a part of Owen’s life as well.  Owen reminds his father that he can’t say he wants to be a part of his life and continue to keep secrets from him. Cayden asks Owen when the finals are and promises that he’ll be there for the game tomorrow night. Cayden vows that he’ll be a part of his son’s life and it will start tomorrow.

At SCPD, Thea (Willa Holland) and Quentin (Paul Blackstone) are working frantically to get the shelters ready in preparation for the bomb blast. Oliver calls Thea and tells her that the Arrow Cave can accommodate people and keep them safe; he doesn’t have time to worry about being questioned on how he has access to it.

Meanwhile, Ricardo Diaz (Kirk Acevedo) points out that the airlift Cayden James promised is more than a little late and he’s going somewhere else because he has no intention of being blown up with the city.

Thea comments to Quentin that she noticed that Dinah (Juliana Harkavy) didn’t show up for work. Meanwhile, we see Dinah fighting Cayden James henchmen demanding that they tell her where she can find Black Siren. Rene (Rick Gonzalez) and Curtis (Echo Kellum) arrive and tell her they were worried when they found out she didn’t show up for work today. “I’m getting justice for Vincent,” Dinah tells them. But it says like cold-blooded murder to them. “I know you’re hurting D but Felicity called. We got until midnight before James’ bomb does its thing,” Rene says, telling Dinah that is their priority right now.  But Dinah is determined to make Black Siren to pay for killing Vince. She warns them to stay out of her way.

At the Arrow Cave, Oliver gets proof that a paid assassin was hired to kill Cayden James son and make it look like Oliver with the culprit by using a bow and arrow. John and Oliver go to talk with Cayden James and shows him the real video of his son’s murder. Cayden realizes that the person who orchestrated this is someone within his own organization.  Everyone is ruled out except Diaz, Anatoly and Black Siren. Cayden ordesr John and Oliver to bring them to him. He has no problem of staying the course and blowing up the city along with the traitors.

Alena and Felicity can’t believe that John and Oliver are willing to deliver Diaz, Anatoly and Black Siren to Cayden James; he’s leading them to possibly be slaughtered and they could be innocent. John tells Oliver that they need the whole team for this so he calls Rene and Curtis and tells them that Cayden is demanding Diaz, Laurel and Anatoly be brought to him alive because he believes that one of them killed his son. Curtis tells John that Dinah is going after Laurel to kill her to get revenge for Vince. John says that if Dinah kills Laurel, she kills the entire city.

Meanwhile, Dinah finds Laurel and Black Canary and Black Siren fight. “This ends tonight,” Dinah tells Laurel.  But Quentin arrives and points his gun at Dinah, telling her that he can’t let her hurt Laurel. Dinah uses her canary scream to throw Quentin across the ground and tells Laurel that she said this ends tonight. Suddenly, an arrow connected to robes ties Laurel up and does them same to Dinah. Curtis holds his gun to Laurel’s head preventing her from letting out her canary cry. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he says. “What are you doing? I had her!” Dinah shouts to Oliver. “I’m saving the city,” he replies. “I can’t believe you’re working with Cayden James,” Dinah says. Curtis assures that it’s not like that, they are saving the city.  They tell Dinah about Cayden’s demands. Oliver calls Cayden and tells him that they got Black Siren and asks where to bring her. Cayden reminds that one songbird doesn’t make a trio, still demanding Diaz and Anatoly.

In the flashback we see Alena, who works for Cayden James, tell him that A.R.G.U.S is onto what they’re doing. Cayden doesn’t care about that, the only thing on his mind tonight is making his son’s basketball game.

Laurel taunts Dinah that even with his magical healing abilities her (Dinah) boyfriend was still easy to kill.

Rene and Curtis capture Diaz while Oliver confronts Anatoly for setting him up with the doctored photo.  Anatoly insists that wasn’t him. Oliver calls Cayden James back and tells him that they’ve got all three. “Where do you want them?” Oliver asks. “The abandoned theater on Jefferson,” Cayden James answers. John and Oliver arrive the theater with Anatoly, and Oliver tells him that the others will be there soon. Cayden sees William and comments that he didn’t think Oliver’s son was invited. Oliver asks William what he’s doing there. William tells his father that this reminds him of when he lost his mother and he was scared and wanted to be with him. Cayden comments that it started with his son and should end with Oliver’s.

We get a flashback to when Cayden James was arrested by A.R.G.U.S. at his son’s basketball game.

Dinah reminds Quentin that she’s nothing like his daughter and can’t change like the way Sobel did. His Laurel was weak and soft, that’s why she’s dead.

Diaz and Anatoly are brought to the abandoned theater. Anatoly can’t believe that Cayden James is believing people in masks while Diaz says that Oliver and company will tell him anything to save their precious city. But Cayden says that he doesn’t believe people, he believe data. “1s and 0s don’t lie. One of you have betrayed me,” Cayden says. Suddenly, Laurel steps forward and says that she was the one who killed his stupid son. Cayden doesn’t believe her because he saw how she hesitated when he asked her to kill Mr. Sobel. Alena and Felicity realize that Laurel’s power dampening collar is interfering with Cayden James’ bomb. “I knew this would happen, we work with Oliver we get in trouble.  The guy’s a walking death trap,” Rene tells Curtis.

Cayden James tells Oliver that it is a father’s obligation to protect his son but he failed him. “The man responsible for his death is me,” Cayden says. Oliver is able to subdue him.

Back at the Arrow Cave, William comments how he can’t believe Cayden James was going to blow up the city. Oliver promises his son that he won’t let anything hurt him and will try to make sure nothing will happen to him (Oliver).  He asks William to trust him.

Dinah can’t believe that Laurel has fooled them; she confessed that she killed Cayden James’ son and set all of this into motion. Rene and Curtis think Laurel was lying to push Cayden’s buttons. Rene reminds Oliver that this doesn’t change anything; they’ll still going their separate ways.

Oliver visits Cayden while James is in custody. Cayden James tells Oliver to be a better father than he was.

The last flashback of the episode is when Cayden was told that his son Owen was murdered.

Quentin takes an injured Laurel away so he can see if there’s a part of his daughter inside her.

Diaz visits Cayden James and admits that he was the one who killed Owen. “Why destroy the city when you can take it over?” Diaz tells Cayden. He says that he has the police captain and a few others on his payroll. Diaz kills Cayden James and whispers “Tell your boy I said hello.”