The news reports people are in critica condition, and it’s a miracle no one was killed. Oliver has no comment for the media until they come up with a plan to stop Damien Darhk and HIVE. Maybe John Diggle can talk to his brother?
Except Andy isn’t in a talking mood, even after cooling his heels in a (literal) cage. John points out that Darhk’s mind-influencing pills are now out of his system, but while Andy insists he’s no one’s bitch, he also claims he doesn’t know what Darhk wants with the bay. Nut sure if lying or just being a jerk.
Mama Smoak is back at the loft, relieved her daughter is okay. That feeling quickly turns to jubilation as Donna’s decoration of the pad turns up a certain diamond ring.
Oliver has Team Arrow give their final seal of approval before he decides to talk to the press, and they all agree: drag Darhk into the light (sorry). He does just that, outing Darhk as the controller of the Ghosts and explaining their connection to HIVE. Of course, Darhk is watching, and other HIVE leaders (I think) are none too happy about his sudden fame.
Next, Ollie wants to cancel his holiday party, but his teammates urge him to carry on, because his message is supposed to be that they aren’t scared. He also asks Felicity a question, though not the one she’s now expecting. Did we do the right thing? She assures him that when Darhk makes his move, they will be ready.
Malcolm Merlyn stops by to check on his daughter, but Thea says she’s felt no bloodlust since Darhk hit her with his life-draining powers. Nonetheless, he urges her to be careful.
With extra security in place, the party is thrown, and Felicity has an awkward exchange with Curtis Holt and his husband. As they talk, she realizes that Oliver originally intended to propose three months ago. Things get weirder for her when her mom introduces Captain Lance as her boyfriend (a fact that surprises even him), and Donna asks why Oliver changed his mind.
Why not just ask him? Felicity does that, and Oliver tries hiding behind their return to Star City. But she presses him, saying she chose this life just like she chose him, and why can’t they have both?
Darhk and his Ghosts pick that moment to attac the party, and the villain easily disarms Diggle’s extra security with his powers. Since he couldn’t have Queen’s loyalty, he’s going to take those closest to him. He sends Oliver flying through a window and orders his men to round up Felicity, Diggle and Thea.
When he comes to, Oliver assures Donna he’ll get her daughter back. Leaving Alex Davis in charge of making sure the guests get home and stalling the press, Ollie beats up Ghosts as Green Arrow looking for information, but to no avail.
That means classic Oliver blaming himself, though Laurel Lance isn’t having it. She repeats the idea that his friends can take care of themselves — even Felicity. Laurel also gets a tip from the hotline.
It’s not about Darhk, exactly, but about Lance working for him. That leads to her confronting her father, and he stays true to form by explaining that he did it to protect her. Uh, dude, your daughter is Black Canary.
Both of them are summoned back to Arrow Lair 3.0, where Merlyn has also dropped in. He’s got one of the Ghosts’ specially encrypted phones, but Oliver insists that turning himself in to Darhk is their only play. And I suddenly have a serious case of deja vu.
Meeting with Darhk, Oliver finally learns the villain’s plan. He was going to use the bay to grow some sort of algae that HIVE could turn into death gas … or something like that.
Black Canary and Malcolm ready whatever they have planned, but first, she needs to speak to her dad. Laurel says that she is the one who gets to decide whether she needs to be protected. Remember that, I have a feeling it’s going to come up again.
How about in the very next scene? Damien lets Oliver say goodbye to Felicity, and she echoes Laurel’s mantra about getting to decide if she needs protection. Almost word for word, actually. She also says what we already know: that if Oliver had asked her to marry him, she would have said yes.
Alas, she’s soon taken to join Diggle and Thea in the gas chamber. It looks grim, but Green Arrow and Black Canary arrive in the nick of time. A Canary Cry shatters the chamber and Oliver smashes the glass to rescue his teammates. Thea is surprised that Merlyn is Green Arrow, but he’s kicking tons of ass — at least until he finds himself face to face with Darhk. Just when Darhk has Malcolm in his very own version of Darth Vader’s Force Choke, Oliver arrives with a timely tackle. Upstairs, Lance arrives with cops in tow to help the rest of Team Arrow fight off HIVE’s now released “volunteers.” Meanwhile, Darhk is beating the crap out of Oliver (I guess so he doesn’t blow his cover?) until “Green Arrow” shoots him with two arrows and leaves an explosive arrow as a parting gift. But Darhk was chanting something just before the explosion …
Oliver has to live with the idea that he now owes Meryln a favor. John visits Andy again but finds his brother remains unrepentant. Darhk is very much still alive, revealing to his HIVE buddies that they can now grow corn underground, though it’s not clear what their endgame is. And what, they ask, about Oliver Queen?
He’s busy giving another speech to rally the public, this time at a candle-lighting and tree-lighting ceremony. He also picks that stage to publicly propose to Felicity, and she says yes. #Olicity forever.
Or at least until they get into a limo to ride away together. Juxtaposed with images of Darhk happily preparing for Christmas with his own family(!), we see the limo surrounded by SUVs and riddled with gunfire from Ghosts. Oliver gets Felicity to stay low, and he finally hops up to the driver’s seat (the poor driver is dead) to do some impressive driving to get the limo out of the line of fire. He checks on Felicity, and yes, she’s been hit. Uh-oh.
Meanwhile, (Back) on the Island: Oliver and Taiana talk revenge and how best to get it. The still need detailed survey maps in order to find what Reiter is looking for before he does, and Ollie mentions that Reiter’s men weren’t the first to visit the island while he was there.
That means back to Dr. Ivo’s old ship, the Amazo, which unfortunately is mostly underwater. Taiana gives Oliver some quick diving lessons, and they pay off. He finds a map, though we’re robbed of what could have been a cool scene when we see a shar trailing him back toward the shore. Arrow vs. Jaws!
A worse fate is waiting anyway, in the form of Conklin and his men. Bummer.
Burning Questions:
Does anyone have any idea what HIVE’s plan for Star City really is?
Weren’t you kind of hoping it would be Roy Harper in the Green Arrow suit when Oliver told Felicity he had it “taken care of” in terms of having Darhk see the hero and Ollie in the same place?
This show really, really wants us to think Felicity is in the grave, doesn’t it?
Wait, would the writers really kill her off right after she said yes? That’s just cruel!
Final Thought: You certainly can’t say this mid-season finale didn’t leave us with a cliffhanger to discuss. It still feels like a swerve or two might be coming, and I hope it does. Even though the death of Felicity would make many fans say Ollie was justified in seeking death for Darhk, it would be a shame to see him backslide so much. And I’m not sure death means that much for Damien anyway. We have to wait until January 20 to find out.