Arrow (Episode 3x21) Recap

Al Sah-Him. Oliver Queen's new title and the title of tonight's episode. Tonight we got to see what exactly that entails for Oliver. We also got to see what it means for Team Arrow. They'll continue fighting, just as they did when he was supposedly dead. Nyssa, who's back in Starling City to train Laurel, was also targeted by the League. With that said, let's get into tonight's recap. (Warning: Spoilers ahead.)

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The opening sequence was outstanding. Firs of all, the "My name was Oliver Queen" killed me. I think it killed everyone, honestly. I loved the montage of scenes and fight sequences with Ra's training him. After three weeks of training, he's become even stronger with Ra's' teaching. He's also been given herbs that cause him to see different things. In this case, he was told to kill a man, but instead saw Diggle. This hallucination said that he made a promise he would bring Oliver back if he became something he wasn't, he wasn't going to let him become Ra's. (I'll be calling Oliver Al Sah-Him in this blog post whenever I want to indicate that Oliver was doing uncharacteristic things.) Al Sah-Him wouldn't fight an unarmed man, and even while fighting someone who appeared to him as Diggle, he still killed him without hesitation in his eyes. There's part of me that hopes he's playing Ra's. Allowing him to train him and pretend to be becoming a stone cold human being, but truly knows who he is and what he stands for. Ultimately, trying to play him long enough to find a way out. It's either that or someone is going to cause him to snap out of it. However, let's be serious here. I really do enjoy watching Darth Oliver. Like Stephen tweeted: Lethal Oliver is still a very lovable Oliver -- no matter how hard you try to not love him. It still hurt to see him that way.

There was a scene where Ra's was speaking to Oliver about the previous challenger to become Heir to the Demon. It so happened that this person was Damien Darhk, the suspected big bad of season four. He also mentioned HIVE. We'll see if we gain anymore information about him from now till the finale.

Nyssa was training Laurel to become a better fighter, which she does certainly need a teacher for. I liked the scene between them while they were out to eat. It was nice to see Nyssa in a more casual and happy attitude. That was, until Laurel broke the news that Oliver was in Nanda Parbat and had accepted the deal from Ra's. Nyssa knew the League would be heading for her, specifically Oliver, and she had every intention to leave the city. Until Laurel said that she wouldn't allow anyone to hurt her. She tried to get Diggle and Felicity on board and although against the idea at first, they eventually agreed.

The scene with Diggle, Felicity, Lyla, baby Sara, and Thea was like a small family eating dinner. There was one person missing, though: Oliver. He, of course, came up in the conversation. Thea misses him and blames herself for him being gone, but it's not her fault and Felicity tells her that. Felicity also mentioned that Diggle would need some sort of suit if he continues going out into the field, but Diggle refuses. He'll always refuse a costume.

When Nyssa told Felicity and Diggle that it was Oliver coming after her, they both refused to believe it. They both felt strongly that there was nothing Ra's could do to Oliver that would turn him against the people he loves. Nyssa opposed that and said that Ra's has his ways, indicating that a form of brain washing may be involved. She said that Oliver Queen was basically dead at this point. Oliver didn't know that before going into this, but again, like Stephen Amell tweeted, they should have known better: Don't trust someone who's stabbed you in the chest. Al Sah-Him did find Nyssa and fight her on the rooftop, but he hesitated to kill her. That hesitation gave Diggle and Laurel enough time to get into position and for Laurel to use her new and improved Canary Cry, which is really great. Oliver didn't say a word and instead, walked away. Felicity was heartbroken when she saw Oliver. That broke my heart.

© 2015 The CW Network
 All Rights Reserved

I loved the scene between Diggle and Felicity. It has to be one of my favorite scenes between them ever. Such a great job by David and Emily. Diggle still found it hard to believe and so did Felicity. Felicity was able to get through the past three weeks because she knew Oliver was still alive, but he wasn't himself, at least he didn't appear to be. They both were upset. Oliver's one of the strongest people they know. They can't accept him being brainwashed by the enemy when he didn't know that was what he was in for.

Laurel also mentioned that the person she saw on the rooftop was nothing like the Oliver she knew. He's either putting on a very good show or really is brainwashed. Once Thea got word Oliver was in town, she also wanted to talk to him, no matter who he was and that's understandable.

Felicity was going to stay with Diggle while Oliver was in town, but when they arrived to the apartment, something was wrong. Baby Sara was left in her crib, but Lyla was gone and only moments later, Diggle received a phone call. Al Sah-Him was on the line with Lyla held captive. They had 30 minutes to meet him at his location with Nyssa and Diggle was fully ready to do it. Laurel wasn't going to let her, especially since Nyssa's enjoyed the last few weeks of her life so much more than being in the League.

Lyla, Felicity, and Diggle all pushed at trying to find some trace of Oliver left. Lyla questioned what Ra's did to him. He wasn't the same person that stood up as Diggle's best man. Felicity pushed saying that she knew he was still in there. Diggle straight out called him a "son of a bitch" because that wasn't his friend. Oliver had them all checked, but when Felicity refused to be touched by Maseo, Oliver complied. She was betting on that to happen, that there was still part of him that loves her that would respect her wishes. Lyla was returned when Nyssa was handed over, but Lyla pulled a gun out of Felicity's coat on the League triggering a fight. Al Sah-Him faced off against Diggle and that was brutal to watch. Diggle still pushed, though. He knew that Oliver was in there somewhere. Who knows what would have happened if Thea didn't show up and shoot an arrow through his wrist, which he didn't even flinch at. It also seemed to be her first appearance as Speedy and I'm exciting to see more of that in the future.

It was hard for the entire Team to face the fact that Oliver was gone. "Gone but never forgot." Similar to how they toasted to him in the beginning of the episode. The one part of Oliver that was left right now was the Team and it was up to them to continue what he started. The scene between Felicity and Thea was a nice one between the two. They have to push through, continue living. That's what he would want for them, no matter how hard it would be. They still love him just as much as before. This was also the scene that Thea found out Roy was alive and Felicity gave her his information to contact him so that she could hopefully join him in his new life.

Ra's wanting Nyssa and Al Sah-Him to get married? Absolutely not. I don't care how stone cold Oliver's gone, there was a very slight indication that he didn't want to do that at all. Oliver loves Felicity and Nyssa loves women. Neither of them looked thrilled about the arrangement. After everything that happened this episode, I can't say I believe that Oliver is playing everyone because there's no true indication of it. It is possible, but I think it'll be more along the lines of something or someone snapping him out of this trance he's in, making him remember who he is. Stephen Amell is doing a fantastic job playing Al Sah-Him, or Darth Oliver, and making it seem like it's a completely different person than the Oliver we've seen grow on the show.

The short montage of scenes with Diggle looking at the wedding photo of him and Oliver, Laurel eating alone at the same place her and Nyssa ate, and Felicity breaking down hurt a lot. Roy is back the next episode and it only looks more intense for everyone as it appears that Oliver will be making the final transformation and marrying Nyssa (if that actually happens?). Also, Felicity screaming "We trusted you." That's going to be rough. This show hurts most of the time, but particularly tonight because Oliver is brainwashed to be something he's not and that's so hard to watch. Only two episodes left and it certainly seems like we're in for an intense final two episodes.

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