Arrow 4x19 Recap: "Canary Cry"

Canary Cry. 
On last week's episode of Arrow, we said goodbye to Laurel Lance. This week, the team struggles to come to terms with her death. Diggle, especially, since the guilt for choosing to trust Andy is taking a toll. Lance refuses to believe that she's gone and asks Nyssa to bring her back. Not only is this due to his denial, but also because of the Black Canary spotting in Star City.

May 2013. 
Tonight's episode begins with a flashback to the past, to when Tommy Merlyn died. Laurel gave the eulogy for him because Oliver couldn't handle doing so. It was too painful. This episode's already hitting the emotions. Oliver didn't know where to go after the burial, so he goes to see Laurel. He tells her how he wrote page after page for a eulogy, but didn't feel he had the right to say any of those things. He failed him. He came back to make the city better and now his best friend is dead, and if she knew the truth, she'd blame him, too.

A week later, Laurel and Oliver are reminiscing about their memories with Tommy and how much Tommy loved her. Laurel proposes that they attempt to make the city a better place together. He leaves her to go to Lian Yu because she is the hero and he needs some time alone, leaving a note behind.

Diggle's guilt. 
Oliver asks Diggle not to blame himself, but Diggle does. Oliver warned him and if he trusted Oliver, Laurel would be alive right now. It's evident how much the guilt is taking a toll on him.

He goes out on his own to go after Darhk's wife, not playing any games at all. Oliver stops him and that causes an argument between the both of them because Darhk's wife is the mayor and she has the media, the police force, everything that can be used against him. He has guilt and anger bottled up inside of him and he doesn't know who he is anymore. He needs to find his brother, but finding Andy won't bring her back. Oliver tells him that he can't forget who he is and they can never become them. Such a strong scene between them.

Felicity also talks to Diggle about the guilt he's feeling and tells him that she blames herself, too, but if Laurel was there, she would tell them all that none of it was their fault, especially Diggle.

The Ghost of the Black Canary. 
After Laurel's death, another Black Canary appears in Star City, going after criminals. This causes Lance to doubt that Laurel's actually dead. Someone stole the Canary Cry device from Laurel's hospital room since it's not in the bag of her belongings from the hospital. No one else is supposed to be able to use that device, which is why Lance believes that it must be Laurel. After a check in at the morgue, her body's still there. Laurel is really dead.

In order to discover who this is, Oliver confronts the doctor who's been very good to them. He trusts her and she tells him that there's been a frequent flyer in the hospital that may be the culprit. This imposter attacks Alex next, while he's on a date with Thea, and Thea catches a look at her face. Oliver's able to go after her and when he stops her, she accuses him of leaving them in Reddington Industrial to die, whoever they are. Reddington is where Darhk held his HIVE prisoners. According to her, he failed the city. The sonic device was tampered with and she's using it at much higher decibels than Laurel ever did.

Evelyn goes after Damien's wife at a party and the Green Arrow makes an attempt to stop her before she shoots her. He tells her that if she truly wants to be the Black Canary, she should do what the Black Canary would do. The Black Canary wouldn't be killing people. After Evelyn goes, guards are ordered to arrest the Green Arrow, but as Oliver says, we've all seen this before, and he simply shoots an arrow up and gets out of the building.

Lance in denial. 
Lance wants Laurel back and asks Nyssa how to bring her back. The Lazarus Pit was destroyed and she's unable to help to bring her back. Lance is determined and says that he'll find some other way to bring her back, but at some point, his entire world is going to come crashing down.

Nyssa contacts Oliver to inform him of the situation so that he can keep an eye on him. Oliver meets up with Lance after this conversation and he tells him that Laurel won't be coming back. Oliver's never lost a child, but he's lost plenty of people in his life and if there was any way to bring Laurel back, he would find it and do it, but there isn't. Laurel was Lance's rock and now she's not there anymore, and Lance finally lets himself feel the extent of the emotion that he's been bottling up inside.

Oliver's regrets.
Oliver feels responsible for Laurel and for that girl who's now pretending to be the Black Canary. He speaks to Felicity about it and she tells him that she feels she should've been there and blames herself, thinking that if she was there behind the screen, she would've still been here. Sometimes, they just need a reason for why things happen when a situation hurts too much, and that's why Oliver puts the blame on himself. It's a reason.

Mayor's orders. 
After Diggle attacks Darhk's wife, she orders an arrest warrant for all masked vigilantes, blaming them for the horrors that are occurring in the city. She knows Laurel was the Black Canary and now the entire city is scouring for a teenager.

Remembering the Black Canary. 
Evelyn destroyed Laurel's memory out there, but Oliver refuses to let that happen. She wasn't the real Black Canary. Lance and Diana go to Laurel's burial and this time, Lance makes sure Diana knows that she's not coming back, not this time. At this funeral, Oliver does give a eulogy. He speaks to who Laurel was. Being a lawyer wasn't enough for Laurel because of how much she loved the city. He tells everyone there that she was the Black Canary and she told him that before she died. She was a hero. She wasn't the picture that was painted of her in the media the past few days. He loved her and she loved him, and he knows that she'd want them to save their city.

Barry's visit. 
Barry comes to say his goodbyes and Oliver tells him that it's his responsibility to handle Darhk. He's going to kill him. This is the scene we saw in the beginning of the season that teased the character death. Neither Oliver nor Felicity are okay and Felicity knows what Oliver has to do, as does Oliver. He has to kill Darhk, but he doesn't know how. His magic is too strong. It isn't just magic, it's darkness, and Oliver has never been able to face that. Felicity refuses to believe that he's unstoppable. She fell in love with him for many reasons and one of those reasons is that he always finds a way. He needs to find a way now for Laurel, the city, and all of them.

Next episode, Diggle's facing his brother Andy. Really, really great episode tonight by everyone. I loved the entire thing and it was a good way to pay tribute to Laurel after her death.

Arrow airs Wednesdays @8/7c on The CW.

Arrow 4x18 Recap: "Eleven-Fifty-Nine"

Eleven-Fifty-Nine. 
Malcolm's making his move to break Darhk out of jail and when the Team learns this, they make their own plan to stop him. Andy is also involved in helping Darhk again, putting him and Diggle on opposing sides. The character death we've been told about since the very first episode of the season also occurs tonight, so the show will be losing one of its loved characters. Who is it? Keep reading to find out.

The Malcolm Merlyn-Damien Darhk Team Up. Andy tells Diggle that Damien Darhk is working with Malcolm Merlyn and Merlyn came after Andy. He tells hims that he asked him to help him bust Darhk out of prison. Now that the Team gets word of this, Diggle thinks that they need to keep Andy on the inside. He trusts him. Oliver also admits that he's seen the idol Darhk needs in order to use his magic before (when he was on the island).

While they're there, Merlyn shows up to the Arrow lair while Thea and Laurel are there and sends in some of his men to attack them. Turns out that Oliver and Dig trying to stop the missile was merely an easy distraction. The League Men are able to get in, get the idol, and get out being that there's only two out of the four members there.

The thing about the idol is that it's missing the specific stone that it's meant to have. Therefore, it's not complete and it won't work without it. If Merlyn doesn't complete the job, but his and Thea's lives are threatened.

Laurel Lance. Ruve Darhk wants Laurel to be the new DA when she becomes mayor. She believes she can do great things for the city and was very impressed by her trial. Quentin knows that if she takes this job, she'll be under protection and watch 24/7. By taking the job, she'll have to take off the mask.

Back to Laurel's lawyer job, she goes and speaks to Darhk and informs the guards that all of the cells must be searched to make sure that none of the other prisoners are hiding anything. He mentions her fathers past with alcoholism and other issues they've had, but she tells him that she'll see him in court and she's determined to take him down.

Laurel tells Oliver that she's going to turn down the job because she won't be able to be the Black Canary anymore, but Oliver tells her that the Black Canary was her way of grieving after Sara died. Sara's no longer dead and the city has plenty of masked heroes. Now she should pursue this because it's what she's always wanted and the city needs a hero that doesn't wear a mask. It needs her.

Oliver and Diggle's disagreement. Oliver's not sure if Andy can be trusted, while Dig trusts his brother completely now. After the missile job went too easy, Oliver thinks Andy shouldn't be involved anymore for his safety, but Diggle responds with the fact that he's already in a compromised position. Oliver is worried that Andy's playing them as a part of Darhk's plan and team. Laurel advises him to be careful of his accusations before him and Diggle have an argument that hurts their relationship.

Andy calls in that he found Merlyn and the whole Team shows up. After Oliver and Andy get split from Dig, Laurel, and Thea, they're in a room that's a trap of arrows and to stop Oliver from getting hurt, Andy takes an arrow for him. Andy's main concern is that now that they have the idol, everyone's in danger, especially Lyla and the baby. He tells him that there's a piece missing and that there's nothing to worry about. Oliver tells Diggle that that information needs to be kept hidden because if it's known that they have it, there's more danger.

While Dig and Andy go a different way, Oliver says he's going to look for Malcolm. That's when he shows up to Diggle's apartment and finds Andy snooping around looking for something. When Oliver walks in as the Arrow, he says that he's looking for surveillance, but Oliver doesn't believe him. When Dig walks in on Oliver with Andy pinned against the wall, he pulls a gun on him and their relationship's going to need some fixing once again.

Dig says that Oliver has no right and Oliver tells him all of the signs that he's seen as possibilities. He says that Dig has told him that he should make sure he doesn't have any blindspots when it comes to Andy, but Dig counters with Oliver having been the one to say that Andy deserves a second chance and that Dig should believe that he can come back from the darkness like Oliver did. But Oliver says that he never did come back, he tried and tried but he hasn't been able to. Dig says that some people change, grow, and evolve, and Oliver's stuck in his self pity and righteousness, which is why Felicity left him. Oh man, some harsh words between these two in this scene.

One last time. Despite the cells having supposedly be checked, the prisoners get weapons and are able to escape. For one last time, Laurel will wear the Black Canary mask and fight with the team. Diggle brings Andy because he trusts him and he wants to prove that he can be trusted to Oliver, as well.

Thea faces off against Malcolm as the rest fight against the other prisoners that are standing with Darhk. While Thea's fighting Malcolm, he says that she'll never be able to defeat him because she doesn't have the drive to kill. Meanwhile, Andy's being held at gun point if the rest of them don't drop their weapons. So, they drop their weapons, and guess who pulls out the missing piece of the idol? Andy. It turns out Oliver was right to be suspicious. I felt bad, especially for Dig, because he fully trusted him and put all of his trust in him only to be betrayed.

The idol's complete, but Thea swoops in and shoots Damien with two arrows that allows Dig and Oliver to break free and take down some of the other prisoners. Now that Damien's got his powers back, he can control everything and heal himself, so everyone's frozen in place and he's flinging people around the room, stops Oliver's attempt to shoot him, and then, staying true to his threat to Quentin that he would hurt Laurel if he had betrayed him, sticks an arrow in her side.

Oliver rushes her to the hospital and gets a doctor to help her right away. In the flashback scene (I know I never mention these because they're hard to keep up with) he shows a picture of Laurel to Tayana and says that Laurel was his home. Back to the present, Quentin gets word of the Black Canary having been hurt. Felicity also arrives to the hospital and greets Oliver with a hug. Everyone's in an emotional state. Laurel's life is in danger, Darhk's gone with a whole bunch of inmates and Andy, and Dig's upset that he didn't listen to Oliver's warning. The doctor tells them that Laurel's in recovery and she's going to be fine and that she's a very strong woman.

She's able to talk to them and tells them that that's not how she wanted her last night to go. She tells the rest of them that she was going to give up being the Black Canary, but going out there and fighting alongside them is what makes her feel alive inside and she loves them so much. Oliver's going to stay right by Laurel's side. And asks him to get her pouch for her and inside is the picture Oliver showed Tayana when he was gone. It's a reminder of when things were good for them, the way things used to be, and she tells him that she's really happy that he found Felicity and she hopes he finds his way back to her. Although she will never be the love of his life, he will always be the love of hers. She tells him this now because tonight reminded her that anything can happen. She makes him promise her something, but we don't hear what that promise is.

Laurel was fine one second, but then she begins seizing and they're unable to revive her. Time of death 11:59. Everyone's in tears. (I'm in tears). Quentin didn't make it in time.

On April 27, Arrow returns with Laurel's funeral. Great episode tonight, and a very emotional one at that. Laurel Lance brought so much to Arrow and it has been a joy to see her grow over the seasons, and personally, she's grown on me as a character. She took herself out of the dark depths of an addiction and became this strong woman, both as a vigilante and as a lawyer. Unfortunately, tonight we said goodbye, but her character will never be forgotten.

Arrow returns April 27 at 8/7c on The CW.

Arrow 4x17 Recap: "Beacon of Hope"

Beacon of Hope. 
The bee has escaped the hive, I repeat, the bee has escaped the hive... well, actually the Bug-Eyed Bandit (guest start Emily Kinney) has escaped her jail cell. She's after one thing and one thing specifically: the chip in Felicity's spine. Felicity, Donna, and Thea are all trapped in Palmer Tech with everyone else, so Oliver must turn to a new ally to help rescue them.

Buzz. Brie Larvin was granted a small amount of computer time per week and this time she used it to change her release date.

Felicity sends Curtis home sick as Donna and Thea show up. Donna's there to see how Felicity is and Thea's there to ask about a job for Alex. While they're talking, Brie crashes the board meeting looking for Felicity and her bio-chip. She's jammed all forms of communication, but when Curtis sees what's happening on TV, he heads to tell Oliver (with an 104 fever). He tracks his way to the secret lair using the phone they gave him to help find Ray and walks in to see Oliver ready in his Arrow suit and Laurel in her Black Canary outfit, at which point he passes out.

Sitting himself in front of the high tech computers in the lair, he begins to find out information they need to know. So Curtis is Team Arrow's newest ally and he's ecstatic about it. While Diggle, Oliver, and Laurel head to Palmer Tech, Curtis is able to disable the bees, but then he gets kicked out and they now form Exoskeleton. Arrows don't hurt it at all, so they'll have to find a way to stop them some other way.

Oliver's stung badly and now that the bee is inside him, it's replicating itself. The only way to lure it out is to generate a high enough frequency for the bees to follow. Luckily, Laurel's got the perfect tool for that. It works perfectly, destroys the drones, and he's safe. Curtis considers this a victory and after his small jokes and celebration of the win, no matter how little, Oliver's bother by it because he doesn't want him to think that this life is enjoyable. He has some harsh words for him and it takes Laurel to talk him down.

Felicity, Donna, and Thea are still stuck in Palmer Tech, though. If Felicity doesn't give her the chip, she'll start to kill the board members, but she's got another plan. They take an elevator down to the conference room level that doesn't actually stop on that floor and use an explosive (well a device that Curtis hasn't figured out how to stop from exploding yet) to break through the wall. The board members are safe and Felicity faces Brie with Thea by her side.

The reason why Brie wants the bio-chip is because she has a tumor that's wrapped around her spine. When she gets surgery, she'll be paralyzed, so, naturally, instead of asking nicely, she did this to get one. She threatens Thea and Felicity gives her what she wanted. Felicity goes to work on her computer after Brie leaves to get the blueprints and Thea says that she should come back to the Team, but now that Felicity's gone, she sees things differently and says that she isn't going to return again. When Brie returns with the blueprint, she's out for something else now because she recognized the coding she saw and discovered that Felicity was the one who sent her to prison.

Oliver, Laurel, and Diggle head back to Palmer Tech and Laurel uses his Canary cry to slow down Exoskeleton so Oliver can get inside. Brie makes a comment about how Felicity's friend didn't forget about her and when the Arrow walks in he says he never will. Thea's knocked to the ground and Brie's tied to a pole, but while Exoskeleton is slowed down, it's still strong. When Oliver gets knocked down, Felicity breaks a lamp and stabs Exoskeleton with that, destroying the drones. Curtis is able to redirect the bees towards the Bug-Eyed Bandit and everyone's safe. Felicity thanks him, but Oliver says she never has to ever thank him for saving her. Oliver also apologizes to Curtis for how he may have made him felt and tells him that he did great. He tells him that he's always welcomed. Oliver's goal is to try and be a beacon of hope, while also saving a little bit of that hope for himself, following Laurel's advice.

Felicity's Future. After going through the whole thing with Brie's drones, Felicity decides that she wants to still help the Team but in her own way. She wants Palmer Tech to contribute to this beacon of hope the Team has created and make the bio-chips available to change people's lives.

Alex's job search. Alex has an interview with Darhk's wife to work for her campaign now that Oliver's out of the race, but Thea's not too keen on him working for her. Instead, Laurel suggests that he possibly interview with Palmer Tech as there's a job opening that she's heard about, but she won't mention who from. (We all know it's Felicity.) And with that, Oliver makes a few jokes about how Felicity's not Voldemort and Thea says that she didn't even think Oliver knew what Harry Potter was. (He read the books.)

Darhk. Malcolm visits Damien in jail to tell him a few things, but what's important is that Damien's powers don't work when he attempts to use them. It appears he's having a bit of trouble with that. He sends a man out with a message after he has him attack other prisoners, but I, personally, didn't fully understand the scene, so I'm sure more will be explained in the future. Malcolm also gets into contact with Andy (Diggle's brother) to help Darhk, which by the looks of next week it seems like he will be.

Oliver's heartache. Oliver's been practicing combat a lot to get out his frustration and anger. While doing some one-on-one with Laurel, she points out that it's clear he's still hurting. He thinks that after everything he's been through, he should be tougher, but this is a different kind of pain, a kind that takes longer to heal. Laurel's certainly gone through that pain, actually caused by Oliver, so she knows what it's like. Really enjoyed this scene from the two of them.

After Oliver yells at Curtis, Laurel pulls him over to the side and tells him that no one ever deserves to have the speech he just gave, but he gave it because he wants him to see how this life isn't a happy one. He hates the fact that he's unhappy and he feels as though his relationship is destroyed now because he came back from the small time of happiness they had, it's all gone and they weren't able to make it through the darkness. Laurel points out that it was Oliver's own lies, not the lies of the Green Arrow that drove them apart, and she makes a valid point. He needs to find some hope for himself in all of this.

I really enjoyed tonight's episode and think it was one of the best this season. Lots happened, which is why the recap was so long, but I hope you all enjoyed. Next week we'll be seeing Andy go against the Team and in the preview, we're also getting a time of death. Could next week be the week we find out who the mysterious death is? We'll see.

Arrow airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW.

Arrow 4x16 Recap: "Broken Hearts"

Broken Hearts.
Before the synopsis for tonight's episode was released, Marc Guggenheim tweeted a picture of the very much awaited Olicity wedding. People were skeptical if it was real and it's a good thing they were because tonight's wedding is simply bait for the episode's villain Cupid, who's killing couples on their wedding day. (How sweet, right?) A fake wedding and broken hearts were certainly in order. (Yes, I'm talking about ours as fans.)

*Note* I'm trying out a new style of blogging tonight, so if you like it, be sure to like this post and/or leave a comment! I may continue doing it depending on if I like how it looks or not.

Love is in the air. Or rather death due to love is. Cupid's definitely not into the whole feeling of love and is actually putting arrows through couples' hearts, killing them on their wedding night. Once the Team gets a location, they speed in to cut her off. Oliver thought he had her, but she got out of the ties. Good thing is he saved the couple.

They find her hideout, which is actually a long-term storage place for wedding dresses (ironic) and they also find a shrine that tells them how she's picking her targets. She's attacking well-known couples, and one target was actually Oliver and Felicity. So, they're going to get married! Well, not actually. They're going to fake their wedding.

Cue the tears. This scene was so heartbreaking because of Oliver's vows. They were so honest and real and true. Before Cupid shows up, he gets through everything and gives her the engagement ring back, but then Cupid crashes the event. Oliver fakes being hit in the heart with an arrow, since he's actually protected with kevlar underneath the tux. Love is death according to Cupid and that's why she's doing this. Felicity counters her and says that love is real and love is life itself, and even if she dies tonight, she's experienced it. And then she says everything that love gave to her. It gave her life purpose and meaning, and it's made her who she is. It's worth living for. More tears.

Cupid almost blows up the building, but Speedy and Spartan are in to fight and they're able to take Cupid down. No harm done this time. Cupid's arrested and Oliver and Felicity are both safe.

Laurel in the courtroom. Something I don't recall seeing in the entirety of Arrow's four seasons is Laurel actually in a courtroom. In tonight's episode, she's testifying against Damien Darhk, but the trial is delayed because there's not actual file proving that Damien Darhk is actually Damien Darhk. The guy is just too good with keeping his identity a secret. Luckily (or unluckily), Laurel's got witnesses, including Dig, but apparently they've got paperwork that shows he bought cocaine for Thea months ago. They need a witness that doesn't have a secret identity, and that means the one and only Quentin Lance will take the stand. Laurel doesn't want him to incriminate himself and she's already been told he can't be given immunity, but he still wants to and he has to testify that he acted under duress when helping Darhk.

Lance testifies and tells everything. He says everything Darhk wanted him to do and everything he did do. And he also says exactly what Laurel told him to: that Darhk threatened Laurel. He also makes a very valid point that even stumps Darhk's lawyer. Why would he put his life at risk and Laurel's if everything he was saying wasn't true? The Judge sides with Laurel. Darhk will not be dismissed and he'll be held without bail or release. Laurel's done it. Next step is to get Darhk convicted. Unfortunately, Lance is suspended pending the investigation. So, Damien's in jail, but he's still got his ring, which he snuck in in his mouth. Obviously not a good thing, but we'll see what happens as a result of this.

Oliver and Felicity. Felicity's moving out and the wedding has to be canceled, as well as the guests uninvited. Oliver's not handling it well, and neither is Felicity, she's just better at hiding it. Felicity does tell the team, but she doesn't want to talk about it. Diggle puts two and two together and realizes that Oliver and Felicity's break up is over his son, but he tells Oliver he believes she'll come around like always. Oliver finds it to be a good sign that she still wants to be a part of the team.

Felicity sees it from Cupid's perspective and thinks that since love betrayed her, she wants to go to war against it, which makes sense. Everyone knows that their break up is the elephant in the room and since Oliver wants to get back together with her, both Thea and Dig say that he has to tell her that so that she at least knows where he stands.

Oliver also still has the wedding venue, which is helpful for luring Cupid, because he still hasn't canceled the wedding. Canceling it means it's over and when he tells Felicity this, she tells him that it is over. When Oliver sees her, his face says it all. She took his breath away. Felicity hadn't written vows, but he did. He knew exactly what he was going to say to her. He professed everything he loved about her and everything she's done for him. After their fake wedding, they agree to talk about things and they do at the end of the episode.

Oliver wants her to know that everything he said at the ceremony, he meant every single word of it. Felicity loves him, with everything in her, but what she said doesn't apply to them. She can't marry him. Oliver swears that there are no more lies, but Felicity knows that there's always a part of him that will revert back to the man he was on the island where he was alone. It's too hard for her to be in the lair at night and not be with him. There's no fixing it and they have to let each other go. And the ring goes back to Oliver. Neither of them want to let the other go, but Felicity's already gone.

Next week on Arrow Emily Kinney guest stars as the Bug-Eyed Bandit and is certainly bringing trouble to Star City and the Team.

Arrow airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on the CW.

Arrow 4x15 Recap: "Taken"

Taken.
After William's taken by Darhk, Oliver realizes he needs help and calls an old friend, Vixen. Using her powers, Vixen gets a hold of his location and the team goes to war. Felicity's also finding out about William this week, so it'll be interesting to see how she reacts and how that affects her and Oliver's relationship.

Felicity has implanted the gift Curtis created for her to walk again and she's not making her attempt to walk through physical therapy with Paul (husband) and Oliver by her side. However, she's not successful in her first attempt, but Paul reassures her that these things take time and she must have patience with herself. When they leave, Felicity admits that she's upset with herself because she wanted to walk down the aisle on her wedding day, but before they can finish, they're interrupted by the one who put her in the wheelchair, Damien Darhk. Oliver is furious, especially when he threatens him with a video of his son and says the only way to get him back is to drop out of the race. And boom, Felicity now finds out about Oliver's son.

Felicity's not mad that he has a child, but that he kept this from her. And then the rest of the team, well Diggle and Laurel, find out, since Thea already knew. To make things worse, when Felicity says she'll contact Barry and asks if she should tell him, Oliver's face tells her that Barry already knows, too. So, the secret hits even harder.

Samantha's in Star City because, of course, she's flipping out about the fact that William's missing and was told by Barry that she should talk to Oliver about things. Oliver tells her he's going to get him back, but she doubts his capability of doing something the entire police force can't. Cue the big reveal that he's the Green Arrow. She's taken around the lair and introduced to the rest of the team, and also sees Laurel, who she knows. Samantha apologizes since their one night stand happened when she knew Laurel and Oliver were still together and she should have been honest with her, but Laurel says that Oliver should've been honest with her, not Samantha.

They need a new plan, so Oliver brings up Vixen, since she has magic and a totem that will her them out. She hugs Laurel hello and meets the rest of the Team in the lair. Using William's favorite toy, his Flash figurine, she catches his scent and now it's time to get to work. (She also says to never mention this to Barry, ever.) Oliver starts to give orders like usual, but then stops when he gets to Felicity and instead asks her to stay with Samantha.

Malcolm shows up at Thea's apartment and Thea's upset about what she's heard about the way he couldn't give up being Ra's to save her life. She also questions whether it was Malcolm who told Darhk about William, and he denies it, but we all know that's a lie, and eventually, Thea learns it is, too, and she's furious. She's done with him by the end of the episode. Such a strong scene from the two of them at the end, but especially Thea.

While Felicity and Samantha are working on a profile for William together, she tells her that Oliver told her about Felicity and that he wanted to tell her about William, but she told him he couldn't. She wants Felicity to know that she was the one that made him choose.

They discover where William's being held and the team goes to work getting through Darhk's men, but they can't actually get past Darhk and find his son. Vixen also lost William's scent, but she's also got a new plan to somehow get to Darhk's totem, since he must have one that gives him his magic ability. Lucky for them, Lance remembers what it looks like. However, in order to save William's life now, Oliver suspends his campaign and sends his full support to Darhk's wife.

Felicity drops by the campaign office after Alex leaves and Oliver tells her that he didn't want to be a part of William's life if Felicity couldn't be a part of it. He figured Samantha would have trusted him eventually and also mentions that Diggle said the best way to protect him might have been to keep him close, even with everything.

Samantha's still angry that William hasn't been given back yet, and Oliver's worried that Darhk won't keep his end of the bargain now. Vixen talks to him on the side after and she tells him that she hated that she didn't know her parents, but she's glad she had didn't have all the answers throughout her childhood. She wouldn't of been able to deal with it, and she advises Oliver to do the same; to allow William to have his childhood and then give him the answers later.

Oliver has two options after Darhk sets a meeting place: meet up with Darhk as Oliver Queen, or meet up with Darhk as the Green Arrow. Samantha wants William back and Darhk taken out, so it's clear that the route is the Green Arrow. Vixen gets the totem, but separating it from Darhk didn't have any effect. So, plan B. Vixen smashes the totem down multiple times and basically cuts off Darhk's magic abilities. Let's just say he's not so good in hand-to-hand combat and is easily defeated. William's reunited with Samantha and even tells his mom that he wants a Green Arrow action figure, and she admits he is pretty amazing.

Perhaps one of the most heart wrenching scenes this season is Oliver recording his video message for William after he's told Samantha to move him far away where not even he will know where William is. He tells him that he's his father, biologically (he hasn't earned the actual title of father, yet), that he's the Green Arrow, and tells him that that's why he won't see this video until after his 18th birthday. He wants to give him a real childhood. And Felicity heard most of him recording this and tells him that they need to talk and puts the ring on the table. She realized that she needs space and she understands how hard the decision was, but in marriage, she needs to be included. And she's also been left out of the decision to send William away. And then, Felicity's able to stand and walk again, and Oliver wants to be happy and celebrate so much, but he can't and she walks right out the door.

I loved that scene, but, personally, I didn't like the way it ended. For me, Felicity being able to walk out killed it for me because I wanted that scene where she walks again to be so much better. And because of what occurred during the episode, her calling things off then seemed a little bit... out of place? However, Emily Bett Rickards did an awesome job, and I can't say enough about Stephen Amell and how much he pulled at my heart during that scene. Outstanding job.

The next episode is involved Cupid and supposedly, there will be a wedding occurring, so it'll be interesting to see how that goes down. Unfortunately, we have to wait 4 weeks for March 23 to come around. What did you think about tonight's episode? Feel free to leave it down below and hopefully this four week hiatus doesn't feel too long!

Other things worth mentioning:
↠Constantine's in hell. Literally, in hell.
↠Oliver talks to Diggle as they're waiting to fight and he says that maybe he should've never entered William's life, but Diggle says he can't beat himself up over "what ifs." He also says that he understands why he made the decision he made and it's part of being a parent. You have to make tough decisions.
↠Laurel's still hurt by the whole Oliver situation, even though she knows it was so long ago. So she gets a little emotional in the episode around Lance.

Arrow 4x14 Recap: "Code of Silence"

Code of Silence.
HIVE's attack and plan to take out Team Arrow is imminent. Knowing this, Lance reconsiders how safe Donna is with him in her life. And with a wedding fast approaching, Oliver feels guilty for not telling Felicity about his son. Is this the episode she comes to find out about him?

Oliver Queen meets Ruvé Adams for the first time before their debate, but he knows that she's not actually who she says she is. Instead, she's Damien Darhk's wife, as we've already seen. The Team follows her that night when she ambushes them with some of Darhk's men, but it's nothing they can't handle. Problem is, she gets away. They know Darhk didn't try to destroy Star City so his wife could be mayor, so it's clear they're missing something.

Damien's having a meeting with the rest of his organization and Malcolm Merlyn. Malcolm didn't end with just giving Damien the little gift of knowledge about Oliver's son, but also that Lance has been aiding the team. In order to get to Lance, a fake call calls him to a mysterious break-in when the building begins to collapse with him inside. Luckily, Laurel's there with him and they're able to get out despite the explosives placed everywhere. Darhk set a trap, but he wasn't successful thanks to Laurel being there to help.

Donna's busy putting things together in the apartment for the engagement party and she's got some big ideas. While she's telling them what she's planning, Thea shows up and says Alex has found something that may possibly be used against him. Back in 2013, their mom filed a tax audit and she wrote a million dollar check to Samantha Clayton (Oliver's son's mother). He brushes it off as if it's not a big thing and there's no way he could see it being used against him. Later on, Thea does a little bit of digging on her own and discovers that William is Samantha's son and that he must also be Oliver's son. He's not doing okay with it because this lie is existing between them, but it's also a promise he's keeping. He's not the person he was when it happened anymore. Thea tells him that keeping it from Felicity is the right thing to do for William, to keep him away from harm.

Donna and Lance are set to have a date, but after the accident, Lance tells her that they can't see each other for a while. He claims it's because he owes a guy money, but she's a Vegas girl, so she can take them. He still insists on a few weeks, but Donna knows something is going on that he's not telling her. He doesn't tell her the truth and he lets her go. Felicity sees her mom upset and asks Lance what happened and he tells her that he wouldn't be able to stand if anything happened to Donna because of him, so he's trying to distance himself.

The team takes on another mission to go after the demolition team working for HIVE and is successful in defeating them. Speedy sticks behind to grab the laptop and luckily makes it out in time as the building is collapsing, similar to the way the building Lance and Laurel were in was earlier.

Donna's very upset about her breakup with lance and she admits that she's been living vicariously through Felicity and Oliver. She says that they don't lie to each other ever and that he's going to be the best dad in the whole world. Their beautiful relationship reminds her that she's never going to find a love like that, but Felicity says she has that in Lance. She also tells her mom that maybe he's hiding something to protect her and she has to give him a little bit of trust in return. Now, secrets... we know there's a a decently sized one between Felicity and Oliver right now.

Lance and Oliver also have a conversation about lies and he gives Lance the same advice Thea gave him: sometimes lies are to protect the people you love.

With Curtis' help, the blueprints from the laptop are able to be recovered right before Oliver's debate is about to begin. HIVE has had a plan all along and now they've discovered what it is. The building HIVE has been planning to take down is the one they're currently standing in. Luckily, Felicity's able to see where points are and they set off the fire alarms to evacuate the building. Thea and Oliver are still inside, both changed of course, and now with Black Canary and Spartan. They've still got to face the demolition team. Dig, Laurel, and Speedy take out their guys, as does Oliver, and they stop the explosives. Lance arrests the demolition team. Mission completed.

So, everyone's back in the building and it's time to have a debate. Now, we don't actually see it. According to the news, Oliver won the debate. Instead, we're moving on to the engagement party. While Oliver and Felicity are off taking pictures, Lance apologizes to Donna and then tells her that he's actually in a bad place with HIVE and she understands that he was protecting Laurel, just like he's protecting her. So, all's good with this couple.

Back to Felicity and Oliver. Curtis and Paul, his husband, show up and he gives her her early wedding gift. It's an implantable bio-stimulant. He can't promise anything, but after it's implanted in her spine, it'll help her to walk again. It makes Felicity so happy and Oliver so happy. Happiness!

Before the episode ended, Damien Darhk got a little playdate for his daughter and that playdate is William. Next week, Vixen's making an appearance and Felcity's finding out about William. So it'll be interesting to see how that reaction goes and what goes down, especially since William's kidnapped by Darhk. Should be a good one.

Other things worth mentioning:
↠Oliver and Felicity's wedding invitations that Donna helped get made shoot glitter and confetti when they're opened.
↠Felicity was wearing a STAR Labs sweatshirt in a scene.
↠Curtis is working on an early wedding gift for Felicity when she walks into the lair to ask him to help her with something.

Arrow 4x13 Recap: "Sins of the Father"

Sins of the Father.
Last week, Nyssa made Oliver an offer for the Lotus elixir that will be hard to refuse, especially as Thea continues to struggle with her bloodlust. Last week, Felicity's father returned, and this week we'll see them sit down to talk and how that relationship develops this episode. By the looks of the promo, it looked like we'd see some sort of sword fight from opposing sides regarding Thea's condition, so let's talk about what actually went down.

Oliver doesn't want to be involved in the tension between Nyssa and Malcolm. He feels that Nyssa should give him the elixir without any gain because Thea is going through what she is going through because of her father. Oliver's plan is to try and convince Malcolm to give Nyssa control of the League, which will give Nyssa what she wants. Laurel intends to get Nyssa on board with it and Oliver plans to work on Malcolm.

Meanwhile, Felicity has one question for her father while they're out to coffee: "why now?" And then he brings up that he was doing a job and he was almost beat. He did his research and then used her codename 'Overwatch' and now Felicity knows who he is. She goes to leave, but he says he wants to prove that he can be trusted, so he gives her a collection of things on a USB that will prove it. He wants to be present in her life and wants to regain her trust.

Oliver speaks to Malcolm about the Lotus who doesn't trust Nyssa. If there was proof this elixir existed and he could save Thea, he would do it, but he doesn't believe such an elixir exists. Laurel's conversation goes more in depth with Nyssa. Laurel will never forgive Merlyn for what he's done, but if Nyssa wants Merlyn dead, then she needs to drive that sword herself. That's why Nyssa needs to compromise. And when Laurel tells her the plan, she agrees as long as they can convince Malcolm. And if he doesn't, Nyssa threatens war and bloodshed on Star City. To convince Malcolm, Oliver asks Nyssa for anything to prove to Malcolm that she's not lying. So she gives them a sample of the cure and Malcolm can get the proof that he needs. Sure enough, it heals her wound and Malcolm's on board with the plan.

When Felicity returns, she tells the team of the news she's learned. Even though she has the USB, she wants to put her father through a test to see if he's being truthful. Oliver thinks it's a good idea. Felicity calls her mom being that her dad's in town and Donna's concerned that the may have hurt her. Felicity thinks that he may have changed, but Donna doesn't think so. She's been through this before and things only became worse. She doesn't feel people have the ability to change. Felicity still sees her father, though. She shows him around Palmer Tech and Curtis' lab and gives him a look at what they've been working on.

Malcolm and Nyssa meet that night, but what seems like it will be a peaceful exchange at first turns into a sword fight when Malcolm calls in his own force. Nyssa, on the other hand, was expecting a peaceful exchange. Despite their short encounter, Oliver, Diggle, and Laurel prevent Malcolm from taking his men any further after Nyssa.

League men are fighting in Star City and while looking at the scene where some were, Diggle and Oliver talk about the elephant in the room. They both known Malcolm has to be taken down. And Oliver admits that he has never hated anyone more than he hates Malcolm Merlyn. War is on the verge in Star City and the reason for it all is Merlyn. It's time for Oliver to channel that hate and take him down. After they stop Malcolm's men for the time being along Nyssa in the streets of the city, they shoot Nyssa with a tranquilizer gun and take her with them back to the lair.

Laurel gets a chance to talk to Nyssa on a deeper level, telling her that this isn't who she is. The way she's acting is how her father was, and he's no longer around. She can be who she is. She's free to make her own choices. Definitely some good advice Nyssa should be thinking about.

Felicity sees Oliver later in the day and reveals the device she found after her father left the lab. He placed a device that would be able to suck all the data out of the room. He failed her test. She brought him into Palmer Tech without restrictions and he failed. And in some ways, Felicity and Oliver are going through similar situations, wondering if people can change. Oliver would have an easier time getting rid of Malcolm if he wasn't Thea's father and sometimes, he thinks that he has changed.

Malcolm would not risk his city to save his daughter. He doesn't trust the power Nyssa has if she becomes the new Ra's. They'll all be in danger then. And then Malcolm mentions William, and that catches Oliver off guard, but he's Ra's al Ghul, he knows everything about him. Even then, Oliver is adamant that he would search and search for another way to save both his son and the city if he was in the same situation.

The only way things will be settled will be in a battle by combat. Malcolm and Nyssa are to fight in front of the team and the League. However, what Oliver has up his sleeve is a different idea. As Nyssa's husband in the eyes of the League, he elects to fight for her against Malcolm, instead. She's confused as to why, but let's him anyway. He's going to correct the mistake he made when he first gave Ra's the ring. Oliver's kicking his ass, but Malcolm refuses to yield. Instead of killing him, which everyone approves of him doing and even Malcolm is taunting him to do, he cuts off his hand and takes the ring off that hand and gives it to Nyssa. She is officially the new Ra's al Ghul. They successfully have the Lotus. The Lotus heals Thea and she no longer has the bloodlust. They'll eventually have to tell Thea what happened, but they'll take baby steps.

Felicity decides to say goodbye to her father. She tells him how she always worried what was wrong with her, why he abandoned her. He says he thought he was doing the right thing for them, but she doesn't believe him. And to prove her point, she turns him over to the police and he's arrested. Take that, Calculator. Felicity is nothing like you.

Nyssa follows Laurel's advice and it turns out that her words were very powerful. She disbanded the League of Assassins. No one will be her father's prisoner any longer. She's now her own person. She's free. And in front of Oliver, Laurel, and Malcolm, she melts the ring. The League no longer exists and Malcolm is angered beyond belief, even going so far as to threaten Oliver, but Oliver will stand none of it.

Felicity knows it's insane for Oliver to be torturing himself over betraying Oliver, but it's why she loves him. Oliver did what Diggle said. He took an impossible situation and made it have the best possible outcome. And then he tells her that they should get married soon because maybe now is their window.

Malcolm Merlyn hasn't changed and that's been very clear. But he's reached an all time low. To get back at Oliver, he's gone to Damien Darhk to give him information about who Oliver cares about most, and then he tells him about Oliver's son, William. Pardon this, but what an asshole. Sacrificing a child's life to get revenge on Oliver for betraying him. And now, the possibility of William being the one in the grave we keep seeing is even more possible. And I'm starting to think it is him because Barry knows who William is, he'd comfort Oliver about it. Overall, good episode tonight with a big ending. It's going to be an interesting next few episodes!

Arrow 4x12 Recap: "Unchained"

Unchained.
Roy Harper returns to Star City on tonight's episode of Arrow as the team faces the Calculator. Meanwhile, in Nanda Parbat, Nyssa's making her move against Malcolm. Warning: Spoilers ahead.

Helped by one of the other woman in Nanda Parbat, Nyssa receives food with a knife hidden inside that she uses to escape. Her and some of the other League members go against the others and have control of the mountain for now until Malcolm gets back. Nyssa also wants Tatsu's help.

The Team is mid-battle chasing a masked man who's stealing from tech companies when Thea loses consciousness while sitting on a rail and almost falls off the side of a building before Oliver saves her. As always, the "Guilt Arrow" comes into play and he blames himself for not paying closer attention to her. Her loss of consciousness is a result of her blood lust and if she doesn't satisfy it, she'll die. While her, Malcolm, and Oliver are talking, she finally tells him about the result Damien Darhk had on her and how it helped.

The masked man the Team's been following is actually Roy Harper. Also, Oliver was chasing after him during their second encounter without his suit on, so I wonder what his excuse would've been if it was someone he didn't know. The thing is, it wasn't a happy reunion. Roy punches Oliver before running away. The next company he goes after happens to be Palmer Tech and there's nowhere for him to run this time. The entire Team is there, and after Felicity is absolutely positive, she instructs Oliver to shoot him in the chest because something's not right with him. He had a contact that was also a camera in his eye, but they were able to remove it, and made it seem like they killed him so he would be safe. And because of the camera, he didn't make any connection with them to keep them safe.

Now that Roy's back, him and Oliver get to have some conversation about how he's blaming himself about new things, and that allows him to tell Roy about Thea. This also lets us see Roy and Thea reunited, which made my heart jump with joy because I miss them. Unfortunately, their reunion is interrupted when Thea has an attack due to the blood lust. Oliver wants to help in any way, even if that means making a deal with Darhk, but Thea doesn't want him to have to deal with this problem. This isn't his decision. It's hers. And according to Malcolm, sometimes the greatest action of love is no action at all.

The blackmailer that Roy's had to work for is the Calculator. Felicity, using her insanely good hacking skills, gets in touch with the Calculator and they're able to speak to him for a little while until he shuts them out. (Now, this is a comment being made before we know, but he has to be her father right? How cool would it be, father vs. daughter hacking each other?) Anyway, his plan is to take down the city using the tech he's gathered and a web nuke.


Felicity knows of something at Palmer Tech that can help them stop him, though. Earlier in the episode, a man named Mr. Dennis informs her that maybe she should let someone else do the presentation about the Power Cell that she's set to do... someone who isn't in a wheelchair, but later on, Curtis tells her something else. After Felicity gets the technology she needs from Palmer Tech to take down the Calculator, she's filled with energy, ready to take on anything, and that's the Felicity the company needs.

So, with Felicity doing what she does best behind them, the Team goes in. While Thea's getting better, Roy's back in the Arsenal suit, which he has seriously missed. (We've missed you, too, Roy.) Felicity's successful in blocking Calculator from setting off the web nuke, but they need to blow it off before he does. So, since Roy brought him into their lives, he's going to stay behind and shot the nuke from a distance and then run like hell. He blows the thing up and gets the hell out of there, thankfully.

To protect Roy, Felicity installed a virus in the Calculator's system to get rid of everything he had on Roy, so even though Roy has to go back underground, the Calculator won't have anything on him. But sadly, we must say goodbye to him, but not before he says goodbye to Thea. He wishes he could stay. And Thea asks that, for her, he gets married and has kids, and lives a happy life. They say goodbye with an "I love you" and say they would do everything they did together again. Hopefully he'll make another appearance sometime in the future.

Felicity does her presentation and she does that presentation in front of her audience in her wheelchair. She does a great job, and while Oliver's clapping very proudly in his seat, the man next to him makes a comment about how Felicity is "something else." To which Oliver responds, "You have no idea." That man sitting next to him is the Calculator, but it's also Felicity's father, which we see when they say hello to each other after the presentation. (Called it, and I'm so excited to see where this goes.)

After the presentation, Oliver returns back to Thea's apartment to see how she's doing, but something's wrong and she ends up in the hospital. Nyssa shows up to the hospital room and has an offer for Oliver. She can give him something that will prevent Thea from dying, but he must kill Malcolm Merlyn. And next week, we'll see how that goes down. Tonight's episode was very well done. So many important things happened, and of course, Colton Haynes was back in action. I'm looking forward to everything that's set up for future episodes. It should be a good run.

Other things worth mentioning:

↠In the flashbacks this week, Oliver sees "Shado," who tells him to let his own darkness go and return to his enemy. And she says she'll teach him how to let it go. He's actually hallucinating. That darkness he feels is guilt, which we all know Oliver feels about a lot of things.

Arrow 4x11 Recap: "A.W.O.L."

A.W.O.L. 
Adjustments have to be made by Oliver and Felicity as she's now wheelchair-bound. Diggle and his brother must also team up in an attempt to face someone from their wartime past, Shadowspire. Lots of great character development this episode for more than one. Let's get into what happened.

 Diggle and Lyla are enjoying a romantic evening together when a colleague of Lyla's, Alan Chang, interrupts them and begins to tell her something, but then is further interrupted when he's shot and taken. John is shot in the process. The thing is, their not dealing with HIVE, they're dealing with something more military based. Eventually, he's found dead and he was tortured. Pulled finger nails, an eyeless socket, pretty gruesome torture. So they go to Amanda Waller who slips Lyla a USB with the information on who they're looking for: Shadowspire is a group of military men from Diggle and Andy's old war days.

Oliver's looking after Felicity to the absolute best of her ability, making sure she takes her medications and everything to ensure that she can have the best recovery possible. Felicity's worried about her no longer being valuable to the team, but Oliver knows the team needs her. Felicity's concern is that there is a lot on her mind at the moment and she fears it can cause an issue.

While Oliver's making sure Diggle's okay, Felicity's at the apartment alone and she's beginning to hear the voice of her former self, back from her college days. Her hallucinations are due to her medications and she's going to have to deal with them throughout trying to help Oliver.

The flashbacks this episode revolved around Diggle and Andy and their war days. And that propelled their relationship this episode. While in the past, Diggle thought that the army was working for Andy, he was actual part of the evil organization they're not fighting against. Andy was involved in Shadowspire, but after he was discharged, he was no longer with them. Andy says he never saw it because Diggle wanted to believe that the army had fixed him. However, despite their big argument, Andy says that he can help find the two missing ARGUS agents and he clues Diggle in on where they could be found.

The problem is, the building their hiding in has a high tech security system that only one person can get past: the one and only Felicity Smoak. Oliver calls her and asks if she can help, and she does, but she's got past Felicity talking to her at the same time, telling her to not fall for it and that becoming part of the superhero world has done her no good. She gets into the security system and allows the team to get in. Both of the ARGUS agents are dead, but Felicity trips something and the system becomes overloaded with too many requests, putting Diggle in a situation where he's almost hurt, but Oliver gets to him and helps. And in the background, past Felicity taunts that he's safe no thanks to her.

Oliver wants to make sure that Felicity's okay and know that she's not responsible for what happened. He also apologizes for pushing too hard for her to get back in the game when she wasn't ready, but he hoped that playing superhero would help things feel normal. But because of her injury, she feels that she can no longer be part of the team. While Oliver's telling her that she's one of the strongest people he knows and that she's an important part of the team, past Felicity is saying that she's bad for the team and that she should say that she's hearing voices, and when she yells at her hallucination to shut up and leave her alone, Oliver takes that as though it's towards him, and he apologizes and does as she wishes.

Laurel and Oliver are having a fighting session in the lair when he gets angry and starts to talk about it. He tells her that Barry traveled back in time when they faced Vandal Savage and that he changed the past, which in turn causes the past to fight back, but Laurel says that the only person responsible is Damien Darhk. Oliver has a hard time swallowing that, but Felicity makes her own choices and that's one of the reasons he loves her so much.

Past Felicity gets on Felicity's case, telling her to stop feeling sorry for herself and to stop pretending that the blonde hair and glasses is who she is. She's been hiding who she is for the past 5 years according to her. Her decision to be a hero got her in a wheelchair.

Since Andy's been part of Shadowspire, he knows that there's always something behind their actions. Everything serves as a distraction. Amanda has had anti-Shadowspire operations being done for a while, and that's why ARGUS was targeted. They want the Rubicon Access Codes. While the team is at the rail bench waiting for Shadowspire, they show up at ARGUS because that's their end game. Diggle gets in touch with Oliver by transmitting the monitor he's viewing to the lair using a few tricks he's learned from Felicity and Oliver's got to stop it.

While Oliver's waiting at the lair, Felicity shows up at the lair, also. She realized that she wanted to help people, and that's why the old her isn't her. It just created more anger in her. The person she is now, is the person she is and is supposed to be. And Oliver can't blame himself. They're going to stop Damien Darhk because it's who they are, it's what they do.

While ARGUS is compromised, Amanda's given 20 minutes before another person on her team is killed. When the 20 minutes is up, she starts talking about Lyla and how she was one of her most trusted, and Lyla says she left because Amanda doesn't value human life. This gets Amanda killed, and Lyla's life is the next on the line. The Team, minus Diggle, goes to help rescue Lyla, and it's during this mission that Felicity gets her codename: Overwatch. She's back with no hallucinations doing the badass computer work she does so well. While Lyla is trying to access the Rubicon codes, Felicity is locking her out. And Andy, who originally seemed to be betraying his brother as part of their plan, stops the leader of Shadowspire from shooting Diggle and they take them down with the help of the Green Arrow. Diggle finally got the glimpse of his brother he's been waiting for.

At the end of the episode, Felicity shows Oliver what the old her looks like and they both comment on how badass she was last night. There's no place they'd rather be after how much they've grown. And Felicity ensures the past stays the past by burning the photo of her former self. Oliver knows that her condition is said to be permanent, but he refuses to give up looking for a way for her to walk again because they live in a world where Barry has super speed, Sara came back from the dead, and Ray can shrink. There's some way to reverse it.

Andy and Diggle are making steps and the next step they make is him staying with Diggle and Lyla, and getting to meet baby Sara, which completed the character development of the episode.

Long recap for this one, but there was a lot of stuff to hit. This is definitely one of my favorite episodes for Felicity by far, as well as a favorite for Diggle and his brother. The focus was on them and it was split perfectly, with neither overpowering the other. Outstanding acting by Emily Bett Rickards and David Ramsey, in particular, who are such loved characters on the show and it's always nice to see them get an episode where they're the center. Really enjoyed tonight and it did not disappoint. Next week, Roy's back and the Calculator is the villain of the episode. Looking forward to Colton Haynes making an appearance, so I can't wait to see what brings him back. Hope you all enjoyed tonight's episode!

Arrow 4x10 Recap: "Blood Debts"

Blood Debts.
So, what exactly has happened to Felicity Smoak since she was shot on her and Oliver's drive back after their proposal? Tonight's the night we find out. And now, Oliver's out for revenge and he's search for Damien Darhk to do so. Warning: Spoilers Ahead.

The episode begins with that same flash forward we saw earlier in the season with Oliver standing at the grave talking to Barry, 4 months from now, but then things switch back to the present day. We see Oliver waiting in the hospital while Felicity is being operated on cut with scenes of Oliver going rampant looking for Darhk.

Diggle trying to help his friend and he's done waiting around for his brother to start giving him information on Darhk, so now he's going to force it out of him, even if that means beating it out. Later in the episode, he follows Lyla's advice regarding violence not being the answer and Andy finally gives Diggle a lead. Later in the episode, they're even playing cards. Progress.

Laurel walks in on Lance and Donna in the hospital, but she brushes off the awkwardness, making it known that she's happy that he's happy. And we see Lance worried again about Laurel going on any dangerous missions, especially ones that involve Darhk after she thanks him for the information he provided.

Lonnie Machin (that guy Thea lit up in flames some episodes back) is back in town and he was expecting to talk to Darhk's people, but Team Arrow got to him first after they got a tip. When word gets in that something's not right after Felicity's surgery, Oliver leaves and Speedy takes over. Machin taunts her, saying that she baptized him by fire and although she makes threats, she holds back. She presses an arrow to his neck, but runs off before the cops arrive.

Oliver feels bad that he wasn't there for Felicity and instead, out chasing Darhk, but he goes to her and speaks to Donna, who informs him that they weren't able to fix the damage, she'll never be able to walk again. The doctor that determined this was the best doctor, all the way from Central City, and things can't change. She's wheel chair bound.

After learning of the news, Oliver's back at finding Darhk. He releases Machin from prison and although he wouldn't give information there, he tells him to make sure he's dead. Once this is out, Laurel is extremely mad at him for doing so, but he's also mad that she was the one to give him up.

Everyone knows that Oliver has to be with Felicity. He's been so hung up on finding Darhk that he needs her, just as much as she needs him. She's aware he's looking for Darhk, but she's also worried that he's gone off the rails. Oliver's worried that Darhk's been winning because Oliver isn't going far enough. He doesn't know why he's the Green Arrow if he can't protect the people closest to him, but she counters that with what's the point of doing it if he loses himself. Felicity also lets him know that she was wondering if the reason he hasn't been there is because of her condition, but he gives her her ring back that the nurse took off in the ER and follows it with a "for better or for worse." He's with her, always.

Machin does indeed go after Darhk, and this time, the people Darhk loves are being threatened. Machin takes his wife and daughter and holds them hostage, but Team Arrow goes to capture him, again. Thea's successful in pinning him to the tree, but he gets away. While Thea's busy with that, Oliver comes face to face with Darhk.  Oliver rescued Damien's family, so now Darhk says he'll give him a few more weeks with his, but no further conflict occurs between the two. How kind.

Oliver's still apologizing for not being there enough for Felicity, but the two still manage to bring a smile to each other's face even in their rough times. Meanwhile, Damien and his family are heading out of town, so now Felicity and Oliver are going to work on figuring out how to stop him as soon as she's better.

End of the episode holds a big reveal for the "four months later" flash forward we've been seeing and that's that the character death is not Felicity. I was fairly positive it wouldn't be her, but this confirms it. She's just as upset about the death and everyone's been saying the same thing, Oliver has to kill him, and the him is probably safe to assume to be Damien Darhk. So there you have it. Next week, Felicity's back in action, but things are all back to normal. According to Stephen Amell, all of the episodes up to 4x15 are a great series of episodes, so I'm looking forward to what happens next.

Other things worth mentioning:
↠Lyla gives Diggle some advice on how to treat his brother. He needs to start trying to reach him as his brother, not as a Ghost, which actually does help.
↠Thea opens up to Laurel about how Damien's magic cured her bloodlust and blames herself for him now having a bloodlust of his own.
↠Thea ends things with Alex for now because she can't control her anger and she wants to solve her own issues before being with him, but then they talk again later in the episode and she realizes that she is stronger than she thinks she is, just like he told her before.

Arrow Season 4 Midseason Finale Recap: "Dark Waters"

Dark Waters.
It's the holiday season in Star City and Oliver's throwing a mayoral party to get everyone in the spirit. After an attack on the city, Oliver makes a bold move against HIVE that will ultimately cause Darhk to retaliate in a brutal manner while the festivities are occurring. Warning: Spoilers ahead.

Team Oliver Queen is running a Star City bay cleanup for his political campaign when the crew and volunteers are attacked. A young girl is almost shot, but Oliver runs in to save her. Felicity is able to disable the plane and send it into the bay, but people are still injured. Luckily, no one is dead. It's HIVE who's behind this and Oliver's distraught because there were kids there and they could've gotten hurt, or even worse, killed.

Donna's decorating Oliver and Felicity's apartment for his campaign holiday party and while she's going through the boxes of decorations, she finds a pretty little box with a pretty little diamond ring inside. Felicity and Donna now know that Oliver has an intention to propose, and they are very excited about it. Their reaction made me even more excited than I already was. The happiness is spreading.

Oliver Queen is sick of Damien Darhk and he decides to expose him to the public. Damien's opinion? He breaks his TV with his telekinetic powers. Is he angry? You bet. Definitely going to cause consequences for Oliver Queen, but the world needed to know. He sent the message that he wasn't afraid anymore, and even though he wants to cancel his holiday party, doing so would be the opposite of that. Oliver's concerned that they didn't do the right thing, but they'll be ready for when he does retaliate. They've got some extra security.

At Oliver's holiday party, Felicity, Oliver, and Diggle meet Curtis and his husband. Felicity gets very frazzled after she says her and Oliver are practically engaged and Oliver looks at her with such an excellently executed face of confusion. And because Felicity is freaking out about it, she tells Oliver that she found the ring and she's worried about why he didn't propose 3 months ago. Everything changed and Oliver had to rethink things because their lives are in danger and he didn't know if their relationship could survive.

In the middle of this conversation, Damien Darhk crashes the party and gets past the security Oliver had to protect everyone from this happening. In order to punish him, he's taking everyone Oliver loves most. Oliver was thrown through a window and doesn't wake up until after they're gone. He's rampant on asking the Ghosts where they are and he still can't find them. The only person he has with him is Laurel to help.

Laurel got a tip that her father is working for Damien Darhk and she then finds out that Oliver knew about this also. He tells her straight out that the reason why is because he was protecting her and she's pissed, but it's true and she understands that they've both kept secrets from each other.

Oliver, Laurel, and Lance are meeting in the lair when Malcolm shows up telling Oliver to work quickly. His plan is for Oliver to turn himself into Darhk. It's the only plan he has. And he does turn himself in so that he would let his friends go. He gets a look inside of what Damien wants him to help with. He has a project using gas chambers that he wants Oliver to help with as mayor.

Oliver gets to say "goodbye" to Felicity and he lets her know that he needed to turn himself in order to know Damien's location. They're fighting their way through danger together, not running away from it, showing their relationship can survive this sort of life. And she even tells him that if he were to have asked her to marry him, she would've said yes.

Oliver had a deal with Damien: he turns himself in and he lets his friends go, but Damien's not one to follow deals. Oliver and Felicity are led back out into the chamber room where Thea and Diggle already stand inside and they grab Felicity and put her in as well. Darhk's logic is that if they live, Oliver has something to keep fighting for, and he doesn't want that. Oliver can't get in and as they all panic, all he can do is watch.

Luckily, Laurel shows up and uses her canary cry to disrupt Damien's death party and also break the glass, saving everyone. She's also got another Green Arrow with her and that's Malcolm in the suit. Lots of Darhk's prisoners are let out of their cells and attack the team, but Lance shows up with a team of his own and they help out. Meanwhile, as Darhk's fighting Malcolm as the Green Arrow, Oliver steps in as himself and takes him down. Darhk begins beating him up, but this allows Malcolm to shoot him in the chest a few times and then leave an explosive arrow by his side. Would be nice if it killed him, but of course not.

Oliver Queen has a tree lighting event in front of the entire city to light united. It is here when he pulls Felicity up on stage with him and gives her the most words before asking her to marry him and she says yes! The beautiful couple is finally engaged.

It would be awesome if the episode ended like that because it would be such a happy ending, but instead, as Felicity and Oliver are driving off, the car is attacked by Ghosts and is shot at multiple times. Oliver protects Felicity, but when their driver is shot dead, Oliver jumps in the front to drive the car away and Felicity's shot and unresponsive. Not to mention the Little Drummer Boy playing behind it, which added so much to the scene, as well.

Emotional and excellently done midseason finale for Arrow. Such a sad, but well done ending. Such a well done episode. It's exactly the midseason finale it needed to have. In January, we'll see Felicity rushed to the hospital and what happens with where she was shot. I can't wait to see what happens next. And I, personally, strongly think Felicity will live. What did you think of tonight's midseason finale? Feel free to leave your thoughts down below.

Arrow returns January 20, 2016 on the CW.

Other things worth mentioning: 
↠When Oliver asks if they did the right thing about Darhk, he got down on one knee to ask Felicity, who already knows about the ring. Her reaction was amusing since they were in the middle of the lair and it would be an odd place for a proposal.
↠Diggle's still trying to get through to his brother Andy, but he's still not cooperating. Andy says that he fails to see the man he is right in front of him the whole time, which is a ghost, and so Diggle will treat him as one.
↠Donna Smoak and Quentin Lance are officially a thing and Felicity wants to be able to get rid of the view she got of them together. Funny moment.
↠Damien's got phase four of his plan working and it involves a massive corn maze in an underground area. He's also a family man, who knew?