Arrow Recap: This isn’t Sherwood Forest, Robin
Last week’s episode left off with Felicity learning of Oliver’s secret identity as Starling City’s masked vigilante and joining his team to provide assistance up until her boss, Walter is found.
In tonight’s episode we are introduced to the Dodger, a world renowned jewel thief who uses hostages to do his dirty work for him. The Dodger’s latest heist is the Sherwood Ruby, a prize mark for any thief. Dodger, “persuades” a guard by using his signature m.o. (a bomb collar around the neck) to get the man to knock out a fellow employee and grab the gem in order to keep his head attached.
Back at HQ, Felicity is now one of the guys and that means arguing with Oliver over the next target. She takes offense to Oliver’s inability to take suggestions and to properly research a target thoroughly before deciding to use force. When Oliver snaps back at her accusations, she decides to quit in opposition, but after Oliver and Diggle reach out and after Oliver apologizes, Felicity rejoins the team.
Flashback: Slade’s bullet wound is infected and if it isn’t treated soon it will mostly likely end in death. Oliver takes it upon himself to head back toward the caves, his shelter during the first days on the island to see if he can find some of Yao’s “magic herbs” to help aid Slade recover.
Present Time: Moira meets with an old friend, Frank Chen to discuss about The Undertaking. She wants out and reaches out to Frank to help her. She refers to her main reason joining The Undertaking was to help “fix” The Glades and knows it was the same reason for Frank after what happened to his daughter, Amanda.
The Dodger becomes priority number one for Oliver and the team decide that best way to gain information is for Oliver to get close to his old “friend” Mckenna Hall, the lead cop on the case. Felicity and Diggle tease Oliver over his feelings, but Oliver throws it right back to Diggle concerning Carly. To show up Oliver, Diggle finally asks Carly out on a date to which she happily agrees.
As for Laurel and Thea, will the pair a taking a lunch break when a man in a red hooded jacket snatches Thea’s purse. The pair chases after the thief and are even to corner the guy, but after he whips out a parkour move or two to jump over a fence to make his escape. Even though he gets away, he does however leave a pretty distinct chain from his wallet in his awake which may provide a way for Thea to find a wayward thief.
Keeping in line with the plan, Oliver visits Mckenna at the station to plan a bug on her phone, but as well as to thank her for helping him and his family regarding Thea’s trial. He also takes the chance to ask Mckenna on a date.
Flashback: Oliver makes it to the caves in one piece and finds the “magic herbs.” However, before he leaves he finds a man who has been beaten asking for help.
Present Time: Thea has been calling thrift and vintage stores trying to track down anyone who could of bought a chain similar to the one left by her thief. She finally gets a call that supplies her with a pretty good description of her guy, plus a name-Roy Harper. This leads Thea to call Laurel so she can get in touch with her father in order to arrest Roy. When Quentitn brings him in and begins an interrogation, Laurel and Thea who are listening in come to find out that Roy has a long history of theft. He explains that he has steal in order to help pay medical bills after his mother got addicted to Vertigo. His story resonates with Thea who decides to drop the charges against Roy.
As for the date, will Diggle and Carly’s starts off great up until the moment he bring up his brother, Andy which promptly ends the date and for Carly wanting to go back home. Oliver isn’t having the best of luck either, when he snaps at Mckenna for asking to many questions about his time spent on the island. The date ends abruptly as well, this time to Mckenna getting a call in regards to the Dodger. Thanks to the bug on Mckenna’s phone, Oliver learns about a possible meeting the Dodger has setup to try to get rid of the ruby.
Flashback: Oliver learns from the man that he was a lone survivor aboard a boat that crashed onto the island not a few days ago. He ran into some men who tied him up, beat him and left him to die in the cave. He pleads for Oliver to help him out and untie him to which Oliver agrees to, but in the last moment he changes him because he doesn’t know if this man is a spy or not and leaves him be.
Present Time: The cops break up Dodger’s meeting, but he is able to escape only to be confronted by The Hood. He tries to reason with The Hood, but to no avail instead he sets off one of his bomb collars to create a diversion for him to flee. Felicity and company decide to lure out Dodger into the opening by auctioning off an item donated by the Queen at an upcoming charity event.
Moira and Frank meet once again to discuss the meeting that Frank has setup to help Moira get out of The Undertaking. She also asks him to help find out a clue that can point her in the right direction to where Malcolm is keeping Walter.
When the charity event finally rolls around, Felicity crosses paths with the Dodger who straps a bomb collar around her neck to cause a diversion while he escapes. Oliver decides to go after the man to see if he can turn off the device, while Diggle tries to find a way to see if he can switch off the device manually if it comes down to that. With some guidance from a panic stricken Felicity, Oliver is able to pursue the Dodger after “procuring” a motorcycle. He is able to cause damage to the Dodger’s tires which cause the car to flip and leaving the Dodger right where The Hood aka Oliver wants him. Thankfully, he is able to disable the device, but the Dodger tries to reason that he is the same as The Hood, robbing from the rich. The Hood knocks him out stating, “he isn’t Robin Hood.”
Diggle apologizes to Carly for bring “Andy” into the conversation and realizes that whatever is between the two them has nothing to do with Andy. This prompts Carly to tell Diggle the time for thinking is over, instead he needs to start listening to what he is feeling-which leads to the pair kissing. As for Oliver well he too apologizes to Mckenna for snapping at her and the pair decide to go out again, but not before Oliver overhears Quentin assigning Mckenna to the vigilante case.
Meanwhile Thea, goes to see Roy at his house to ask for her purse back. The pair semi-flirt a bit back and forth, before he hands over her purse. He does however imparts some wisdom onto her before she leaves, to never come to Glade again and to never believe some guy’s sob story.
Flashback: Oliver is able to get Slade the herbs onto which helps make a speedy recovery. Slade tells Oliver he owes him debt of gratitude and Oliver well he never mentions about the man he left in the caves.
As for Moira, well she meets up with Frank Chen’s contact to help her get of The Undertaking, who so happens to be China White. Moira has decided to put a hit out on Malcolm to get rid of him for once and for all.
Originally posted on Affairs Magazine
