“Restoration” turned out to be a very appropriate title for this episode of Arrow. The main restoration was obvious as this was the episode that brought Sara Lance back to life but Dig and Oliver’s friendship was also put on stronger footing. By far, “Restoration” was the best episode of season and when Arrow starts out this strong we can only hope it’s going up from here.
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Roadblocks for Team Green Arrow
Diggle and Oliver are tracking down a member of the ghosts and while the mission goes well, kind of, their relationship is still fractured. Diggle doesn’t even want to go out for post-mission drinks (which is apparently something Felicity, Oliver and Dig have done all the time, though this is the first time it has been mentioned, let alone seen). When Dig does go home, an ARGUS agent is waiting for him. He has information for Dig about the HIVE agent that ordered his brother’s death. A HIVE agent that is working with Damien. In fact, she is the midst of bringing Damien a metahuman who can throw cards with deadly aim. His name is Doubledown and he promises to deliver the Green Arrow and his friends to Damien.
In Nanda Parbat, Laurel has a hit a totally expected wall. Apparently everyone else is not cool with bringing zombie Sara into the world. Thea technically wasn’t dead so that somehow made her resurrection cool with the League of Assassin’s mysterious BS rules. Even Nyssa won’t back Laurel’s play because she loves Sara, but knows using the Pit could change her. So Nyssa is acting like a normal person dealing with grief. You know like Laurel was about 24 hours ago. (God, this story makes Laurel look stupid.)
Oliver and Dig Make Up (Sorta)
Dig takes a page out of the old Oliver Playbook AKA sneaks around by himself in dangerous situations. Oliver, meanwhile, is being dragged into a trap where Doubledown attacks him. This fight is way more awesome than a fight between an archer and a guy whose main power is a glorified party trick has a right to be.Yet because the show is still called Arrow and we’re only 20 minutes into the episode, Oliver survives. Dig is similarly unsuccessful being quickly spotted and attacked but he escapes.
The guys regroup at the new hideout and the most glorious speech in the history of Felicity speeches happens. Felicity opens up a can of verbal whoop-ass telling the guys to get their crap sorted out. Remember when Felicity cried at literally everything and whined last season? Yeah, that Felicity isn’t around anymore.
The most impressive thing about this tirade, is that it actually works. Dig finally starts to open up to Oliver and tells him about HIVE. Dig tells Oliver about the lead that he just got. When trading stories, Dig believes that Doubledown and this HIVE agent, must be connected. They have to find her.
The thing is that Damien has kind of just murdered her for failing him by being spotted by Diggle earlier. Damien tells Doubledown that the same will happen to him, if he fails to take down the Green Arrow.
Daddy Dearest
In Nanda Parbat, Malcolm tells Thea that the only way to satisfy the dark feelings within her is to kill. The suggestion disgusts Thea, but Malcolm doesn’t give up. He arranges for two of his assassins to attack her in the middle of the night. Thea kills both men easily (and I’ll admit this excites me more than it probably should) as she is just so bad-ass now. This upsets Thea because she just murdered two people, Malcolm tells her that he has helped her, she won’t feel the urge to kill for weeks. Thea, rightfully, is revolted by Malcolm’s gift.
She storms out to wake up Laurel telling her that they have to leave immediately. Malcolm follows the girls and makes another offer. He says in response for his failure with Thea just now, he will resurrect Sara. Apparently this will also help (Thea’s bloodlust because of some mystical crap that Arrow clearly made up. I know it’s a work of fiction so this is all made up but this explanation feels especially flimsy and fake.)
Deadeye Felicity Smoak
Dig and Oliver track down Dig’s lead in HIVE but all they find is her body. It turns out that this is all a distraction because Doubledown attacks Felicity and Curtis at Palmer Tech. Felicity drags Curtis into a secret elevator that takes them right to hidden level that hosts the new hideout. Somehow, Doubledown finds them in seconds. Normally I’d question the logic of this but really this new attack allows Felicity to wield a submachine gun and shoot wildly at Doubledown. I will forgive anything that makes Felicity look this awesome. She gets off a hit in Doubledown’s shoulder and he escapes.
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Flashback Break
Let’s take a chance to go over the flashback story before we get to the end of the episode. So on the island, Oliver learns the secret of why the military camp is here. They are enslaving the people so they can harvest drugs on the island. Things get complicated when it is discovered that one of the slaves has stolen something from the military. Oliver is forced to use his new-found torture skills to get information.
The torture session is interrupted by another slave. She confesses to being the thief and Oliver is ordered to take her out into the jungle and shoot her Old Yeller style. Oliver, of course, doesn’t kill her. Oliver grabs the girl and they manage to flee further into the jungle. Also let’s just be honest, Oliver is totally going to bone this girl the first chance he gets.
This is Why We Don’t Resurrect the Dead
Oliver and Dig track down Doubledown and manage to take him out. Oliver jumps in the line of (card) fire saving Diggle’s life. Their relationship is finally restored I guess. At the very least, Felicity, Dig and Oliver go out for drinks.
The real action is Nanda Parbat as the pit is used. Sara comes back but she is even more animalistic than Thea. Nyssa is horrified. In fact, while Laurel, Malcolm and Thea are tending to Sara, Nyssa sneaks into the Lazarus Pit room and destroys it. As Malcolm takes her away, she swears revenge and that she will kill Malcolm. Nyssa tells Laurel that everything that happens to Sara now is Laurel’s fault.
Arrow airs Wednesdays at 8pm on The CW
(image courtesy of The CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
