As far as episode titles go “Eleven-Fifty-Nine” is about as vague and nondescript as you can get. It could mean any number of things, so therefore it really almost means nothing. In reality though “Eleven-Fifty-Nine” is an incredibly significant title because it turns out to be the time of death for one of the beloved members of Team Arrow.
This is it. The mystery of who the person in the grave is finally revealed. After months of speculation, theorizing and wondering, the answer is laid bare in and somehow it is simultaneously heart-breaking, shocking and weirdly inspiring. (Sidenote: this is how you handle a long teased death The Walking Dead…)
Andy Diggle: Worst Spy Ever
Andy immediately confesses to Diggle that Malcolm approached him to work with HIVE and Andy just happens to do it in the most suspicious way possible. Diggle’s usually reliable B.S. meter isn’t working though. He believes that Andy is still on the side of the angels. Diggle tells Oliver that they should use Andy as a double agent.
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Oliver reluctantly agrees to having Andy operate as a double agent but Oliver doesn’t fully trust Andy and worries about the safety of Darhk’s idol that they are now hiding. Oliver tells the team that he has seen this idol before on the Island, which I honestly didn’t realize to this moment. This proves how boring the flashback story is and how bad Arrow has been about drawing connections between it and the present day.
While Andy sends Dig and Ollie out on a mission, the Cave is attacked. Laurel and Thea are the only line of defense as Malcolm breaks in and steals the idol. Oliver is convinced that it was all a trap designed by Andy and Malcolm. Oliver confesses his feelings to Laurel and she tells him he better make sure that Andy is working with Malcolm before he makes such a big accusation.
Black Canary Divided
Laurel’s own hands are a bit full though. Laurel is approached by Ruve Darhk to become the new D. A. when the former wins the election. Laurel is torn by the idea of having a great job, getting a closer eye on the enemy and … nothing really. There is pretty much no downside to working as D. A. and knowing exactly what type of person Ruve is but Lance is concerned. He thinks that Ruve will keep such a close eye on Laurel that she can’t possibly be the Black Canary anymore.
Lance tells his daughter that he doesn’t want her to give up her life as Black Canary. The Black Canary helps people and that is important. Lance is accepting of his daughter’s life’s choices for the first time in her life. (The prayer circle for Laurel begins now.)
If that wasn’t bad enough, Oliver chimes in and tells Laurel just the opposite; that maybe she should give up the Black Canary gig. Laurel became the Black Canary to avenge Sara’s death, but Sara is not dead anymore. She can do much more good as the D. A. Laurel begins to see Oliver’s point. It might be time to start a new chapter in her life. (The prayer circle intensifies.)
Once a Traitor, Always a Traitor
Speaking of Oliver though, he doesn’t take Laurel’s advice too well. Convinced that Andy is guilty (because he totally is) Oliver goes over to Dig’s apartment. Oliver sees Andy nervously searching in the apartment. Oliver takes this shady behavior as shady behavior and gets ready to torture the information out of Andy. Dig walks in on them and gives Oliver a proper tongue lashing. Dig tells Oliver that just because he hasn’t changed and Felicity left him doesn’t mean that every man who was a bad guy will always be a bad guy. Dig believes in his brother and tells Oliver to back off.
Andy’s obvious boss, Damien Darhk, is busy in prison. He has put together a little gang and they’re planning a little shindig called a prison break. When Team Arrow realizes that this is going down, they suit up and head over to the prison to put down the riot. This includes Laurel, who tells Oliver that this is the last time she is suiting up. (The prayer circle becomes full involves a lot more tears and desperate bargaining.)
Family Fighting
Inside the prison, the riot is full force but thankfully the team is there to stop it. Unfortunately though, Andy is tagging along with Diggle. You can guess where this is going but first, fight scenes!
Since Arrow has been “hit or miss” lately when it comes to having people hit and/or miss this prison riot action sequence is a breath of complete fresh air. Especially a duel that occurs between Thea and Malcolm alone and inside an abandoned prison hallway. It is INTENSE and amazing and Thea will always be fantastic.
Unfortunately though, Thea does lose the battle when Malcolm fights her into submission. Malcolm tells Thea that she has lost the will to kill and that’s why she will never be able to beat him. So to recap, Malcolm tells Thea that because she is a genuinely good person, he is calling her weak. Malcolm will always be the worst.
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Anyway, back to the most boring and obvious betrayal of all time. It turns out that Andy really is working with Darhk (shocker!) and he betrays the team just as they are about to take care of Darhk, once and for all (again). Darhk, with Andy’s help, is able to complete his idol. Darhk, using magic, manages to hold everyone at bay. As the team struggles to break free of Darhk’s control (and Diggle comes to terms with what an extraordinary idiot he has been) Damien approaches Laurel.
Time of Death…
The prayer circle is now basically high-pitched wails and ritualistic chanting. Damien tells Laurel that he made a promise to her father and he intends to keep it. Damien walks up to Laurel and using one of Oliver’s own arrows, stabs her straight in the gut. As Laurel collapses spitting up blood, Damien escapes with several inmates in tow. (Also, Damien reveals that he knows that Ollie is the Green Arrow but Laurel is bleeding to death here so higher priorities.)
Oliver runs Laurel to the hospital (so I guess it is walking distance?) and finds a surgeon who just happens to wandering the halls and gets this doctor to perform the surgery. Laurel is rushed into operation and Oliver and the team is forced to wait for the results.
Laurel makes it out of surgery and the random surgeon tells the team that Laurel will be okay. This surgeon is a dirty rotten liar though and she should be ashamed of herself. Laurel survives long enough to tell both the team and Oliver that she loves them before things go terribly awry. Laurel begins to seize horribly and the doctors rush into save her but it is too late. The team watches horrified as Laurel flat-lines and dies in front of them. RIP Black Canary…
Arrow airs at 8:00 p.m. 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.
