Prometheus made it clear to Church that the Green Arrow was his in a previous Arrow season 5 episode, and in episode 5, he reiterated that — with a warning that he wouldn’t remind him again. Well, Church didn’t listen to him, and in the end, he probably only had himself to blame for his end.
Here’s what led to the end of Church trying to make a mark in Star City — and his ultimate demise — in “Human Target.”
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Church Boasted to Rene That He Got What He Wanted from the Last Guy in His Position
“It’s not pain that breaks people,” Church explained. “It’s fear. Fear of that pain, of what that pain brings, of what happens next.”
The Team Tracked Down Leads
While Church may have put enough fear in people for them to be reluctant to give up anything on him, he probably wrongly assumed that would keep everyone quiet. One guy told the team that Church was somewhere in the northwest of the city, and after Evelyn and Rory found where Rene had been held, Felicity was able to track the van that left that location.
Church Figured Rene Would Be Dead Soon Anyway, So He Told Him Why He Chose Star City
While Church had Rene digging his grave in the woods, he revealed that he could move all the drugs he wanted through Star City’s docks and was working on the biggest consolidation of drug enterprises anyone had ever seen. He just needed the Green Arrow out of the picture first.
Church Didn’t Seem to Care That Oliver Saved Rene Because He Had Another Plan to Take Him Out
Rene admitted that he told Church that Oliver was the Green Arrow. And since it was easier to kill the mayor, everyone knew there was a target on Oliver’s head. However, he couldn’t just keep disappearing as mayor. Fortunately, Diggle said he knew a guy with a specific skill set.
Meanwhile, Church was putting his own plan in motion: to kill the mayor. So the guy he hired to do so gunned him down on the steps of City Hall. But it wasn’t really Oliver. It was Christopher Chance (a.k.a. the Human Target), posing as Oliver Queen, and while Oliver holed up in the bunker, Lance announced that he was dead.
Prometheus Reminded Church That He Told Him to Stay Away from the Green Arrow
There wouldn’t be a third warning.
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Diggle Talked Rene Through Remembering Anything He Could About Church’s Plans
Something good could come out of what happened to him, Diggle explained. He might have seen or heard something that could help them bring down Church.
After telling him about his brother torturing him, Diggle turned the conversation to Rene’s dishonorable discharge. When a prisoner they had been transferring wouldn’t give up information they needed, Rene tried to get it from him his way. He’d been thinking about that decision because he screwed up again, and he didn’t want to relive what had happened. But to help them, he had to.
With Church Thinking Oliver Was Dead, They Knew He’d Make His Big Move and Figured Out What That Was
And they were right. In fact, thanks to what Rene remembered — “The trust goes to the brace 0-4 in 72” — they were able to figure out what he was up to. 0-4 and 72 were the time and date: 4am, 72 hours after he held Rene. “Brace” is what people called a private airstrip outside Pennytown. The trust was the heads of the crime families Church controlled.
Oliver and the Team Took Down Church and His Men, and Church Warned Him About Prometheus
Church just assumed it was only the JV Squad at the airstrip and left his men to deal with them. However, that was when Oliver confronted him and he found out that he was actually alive. There was worse coming for him, Tobias revealed to Oliver, and he didn’t even know it. “He calls himself Prometheus, and he’s gonna end you.”
Prometheus Kept His Promise
While the police were transporting Church to prison, Prometheus struck, just as Tobias had worried he would. Church offered up the information that Oliver’s the Green Arrow, in hopes that would make them “cool.” So were they? Sure, Prometheus said, after killing him. Like he said, there wasn’t a third warning.
Arrow season 5 airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on the CW. Want more news? Like our Facebook page.
(Images courtesy of the CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
If it’s on TV — especially if it’s a procedural or superhero show — chances are Meredith watches it. She has a love for all things fiction, starting from a young age with ER and The X-Files on the small screen and the Nancy Drew books. Arrow kicked off the Arrowverse and her true passion for all things heroes. She’s enjoyed getting into the minds of serial killers since Criminal Minds, so it should be no surprise that her latest obsession is Prodigal Son.
