Let’s be honest here: the Arrow creators use “game changing” and “epic” about as liberally as most people use the word “literally,” so we’re trying keeping our expectations level with this season. This has actually been pretty hard since the mid-season premiere. As we find out more about who isn’t in the grave and see the development of two major Big Bads this season (Damien Darhk and Malcolm), Arrow’s newest episode picks up right after Nyssa propositions Oliver to kill Malcolm in exchange for a cure for Thea. Oliver’s not happy with Nyssa’s conditions to getting the Lotus for Thea and the two argue over it; Oliver’s convinced this is all Ra’s’ fault, though Nyssa is equally sure this is all because of Malcolm. Regardless, Nyssa’s not giving anything up without Malcolm dead.
In the new Arrow Cave, Laurel and Diggle are not as hesitant to kill Malcolm as Oliver is. Oliver’s convinced he can keep Thea from losing her father and working out the issues within the League. He wants to have Malcolm give up the title of Ra’s in exchange for the Lotus.
Malcolm is not convinced Nyssa is telling them the truth but Oliver is not willing to take the chance. He pleads with Malcolm but he’s not having it; he’s sure the Lotus is a lie and Nyssa cannot be trusted. Laurel goes to talk with Nyssa and their interaction is only slightly more successful. Nyssa and Malcolm are both not willing to give up their grudge but Nyssa is more open to Oliver’s proposed truce. She’s still prepared for war and is making it abundantly clear that if Laurel is not on her side, she’s against her.
Even less successful family bonding happens with Felicity and her father, who’s recently reappeared. She’s not quite sure why he’s around now and it turns out that he knows Felicity is Overwatch and working with the Green Arrow. Understandably, she’s not pleased with him nor is she interested in letting him back in, but he wants her to believe him and gives him a record of his past hacks so she can trust him and see his final goal.
Laurel, Oliver, and Diggle are discussing their failures with Malcolm and Nyssa when Felicity rolls in with the bomb that her father has reappeared and was their last Villain of the Week. She admits that she wants to believe him and wishes to test him, which prompts an idea with Oliver. He crashes her training session and asks for proof that the Lotus is not only real, but actually works. She gives him a tiny bit of the Lotus for a temporary cure and it allows for them to have her moved to their own medical lab in the Arrow Cave. Malcolm, Oliver, and Diggle watch as the sample temporarily cures Thea and Malcolm starts to waver.
Despite his wavering, Malcolm remains firm on not letting Nyssa get the ring when they go to meet up. Malcolm moves to attack Nyssa, who fights for a quick minute before beating a hasty retreat. Oliver pleads with him to remember Thea but Malcolm assures Oliver that he is doing all of this for her. It’s not quite as convincing as he wants it to be.
At home, Felicity tells her mother about her recent meeting with her father. Mama Smoak’s good mood is instantly soured by the mention and is very firm on the fact that her father is not someone she can trust. “People can’t change,” she tells her, bubbly exterior gone.
The team reunites around Thea, where Oliver is not sure what’s going on in Malcolm’s head that is making him want to be Ra’s more than save Thea. They’re drawn away by Lance calling them to a crime scene where there was clearly a battle between the two teams of assassins. They’re examining the area when Diggle tells Oliver what he’s been refusing to acknowledge: he’s going to have to kill Oliver.
At Palmer Tech, Felicity is showing her father around and they’re getting along. I want to trust that this is real but I can’t. Protect Felicity Smoak 2k16, y’all.
Laurel is running surveillance on Nyssa and stops her short of staging her next attack. However, they’re stopped by the appearance of Malcolm’s army and the two escape into a street, where a battle ensues and brings chaos to the streets of Star City once more. Malcolm’s army retreats when Oliver and Diggle show up to assist and Nyssa is less than impressed but still sufficiently distracted so Oliver and co. can sedate her.
She’s in Andy’s old cage and Laurel is pleading to have her give up the cure but Nyssa’s staying firm. However, she starts to loosen her grip on her hard exterior when Laurel tells her that using Thea’s life as a bargaining chip is not in character for her, but would be in character for her father.
Though Oliver’s frustrated, Felicity’s facing some drama. Turns out her father left behind a device during his tour at Palmer Tech that would draw all records of the room it’s in, trying to steal some of Curtis’ technology and research.
Oliver’s facing a family dilemma of his own as he battles with his desire to kill Malcolm at the urging of his team. They’re at a loss of where to find him until he emerges at Thea’s bedside. He tries to explain that he’s not trying to keep his power with the League, he’s trying to keep it out of Nyssa’s hands. He appeals to Oliver’s side as a father and Oliver’s shocked but doesn’t dwell on it. Instead, he’s willing to try and work with Malcolm.
Malcolm and Nyssa meet on the roof, their audience in tow. They’re apparently going to have a duel, similar to the one held by Ra’s and Oliver last season. Before they can get into it, however, Oliver stops, wanting to step in for his wife (because I guess we’re still sticking with that “wedding” from last season despite both being in love with super charming blonde women and no mention of it after Felicity’s throw away line in the season three finale).
Nyssa’s not sure about it but he reasons with her and she lets him step in. Malcolm’s disappointed but they’ve had this grudge going for a while and it’s really time they solved it. Oliver grabs the upper hand pretty quickly and, with one final glance at his bride-to-be, makes the decision to not kill Malcolm but chop off his hand. Malcolm keeps his life, Nyssa gets her ring, and Oliver is allowed to save Thea’s life. It’s all a little bittersweet but it’s nice to see that Oliver managed to stay firm in his desire to not kill Thea’s father, despite everyone’s approval and Nyssa’s insistence.
In her med bay, Thea wakes, confused, but coherent and alive. There’s no more bloodlust for her to fight and it’s looking positive for her.
Palmer Tech’s CEO is facing a different kind of daddy issue; Felicity is determined to say goodbye to her father and her insecurities from growing up with a father who abandoned her. He tries to appeal to her desires to reconnect but their reunion is interrupted by the arrival of the police. “I am nothing like you,” she throws at him before she rolls out.
The duel has a more positive end; with Laurel, Oliver, and Malcolm present, Nyssa throws the ring she so desperately sought to win into the fire and melts it, announcing she’s disbanded the League of Assassins. “No one will be held prisoner by my father anymore,” she tells them, thankful to Laurel for her heart-to-heart earlier.
In an unsurprising turn of events, Malcolm is furious about this. Instead of accepting the fact that he lost the title of Ra’s in the League’s way, he is enraged with Oliver & co., arranging a meeting with Darhk. He tells Darhk he knows the best way to get to Oliver: through his son, William. After this meeting, we’ve kind of got to agree with Stephen: he totally deserves whatever’s coming to him.
Oh and if you’re interested in knowing what happened on the island, an angry Taiana tries to hold her grudge against Oliver but as she is nursing him back to health in order to save her own life, he explains what landed him on the island in the first place. She starts understanding him a little bit more and manages to forgive him, just a little bit.
Guys, I keep thinking I know who’s in the grave and I get thrown off each week. But if it’s Oliver’s son William, I’m not quite sure how I’m going to feel about that. Comment below if you have a theory!
Arrow airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.