Arrow Talk Podcast - ARROWTALK

Oliver discovers Sara is alive when he investigates recent murders. With Felicity's help, they determine that Sara, who is still not herself, is looking for Thea and plans to kill her. Sara attacks Thea, who manages to escape. Later, the team captures Sara and Oliver calls an old friend, John Constantine, to help restore Sara's soul. Meanwhile, Darhk gives Captain Lance a new task to install a computer virus in a security company. Diggle goes along and sees his brother's name among the list of individuals being deleted by the virus. Later, Felicity learns that Ray is still alive, and Diggle learns that his brother was killed because he was a drug cartel leader. In flashbacks, Conklin brings Oliver to Reiter, who dismisses Oliver as a spy. Instead, he introduces them to recent captive John Constantine, who escapes and forces Oliver to help him locate a mystical object on the island. After, John warns Oliver after Reiter's real plans, and uses the object to cast a spell on Oliver for his protection.

Oliver tells the team that he is running for mayor, but is met with apprehension. Lance has Oliver look into the death of two police officers, and the team discovers they were killed by members of the Anti-Vigilante Taskforce. Laurel brings her father to see Sara, who is chained up in the basement of Laurel's apartment. The team and Lance set a trap for the corrupt cops, but fail to capture them. Felicity identifies Liza Warner as a suspect, and while search for her Oliver discovers Captain Lance meeting with Damian Darhk. Liza and her team use Captain Lance to get into the drug disposal warehouse, but Oliver and his team arrive and take out the officers. Later, Oliver asks Captain Lance to continue working for Damien so they can learn more about his operations, while Laurel discovers that Sara has escaped. In flashbacks, agent Conklin discovers Oliver's communication device with Amanda Waller.

Laurel and Thea arrive in Nanda Parbat and request Malcolm, the new Ra's al Ghul, to use the Lazarus Pit to bring Sara back to life. He initially refuses, but in order to appease Thea he eventually agrees. When Sara returns feral, Nyssa destroys the Lazarus Pit in retaliation. An A.R.G.U.S. operative delivers Diggle information on the woman, Mina Fayad, that hired Floyd Lawton to kill his brother. Fayad also works for H.I.V.E., and meets with Darhk about the growing issue with the vigilantes in Star City. She brings in a metahuman hitman named Jeremy Tell, who can turn his playing card tattoos into physical projectiles. After Tell's initial failure, Darhk kills Fayad for challenging him. Diggle and Oliver team up and take down Tell, but get no new information on H.I.V.E. In flashbacks, Oliver is forced to use torture techniques to interrogate the prisoners, who are being used to harvest heroin-cocaine hybrid plants, after a parcel of drugs goes missing.

The team take out another Ghost operation, but Diggle feels like it is not enough and Oliver continues to worry about Thea's excessive aggression when taking out criminals. Meanwhile, Queen family friend Jessica Danforth puts a bid in as the city's new mayor. During her announcement she is attacked by Lonnie Machin, an anarchist for hire working for Darhk. While trying to locate Machin, Thea's aggressive behavior seriously injures a witness, which forces Oliver to reveal to her the warning Malcolm Merlyn gave him before he put Thea in the Lazarus Pit. The team goes after Machin, successfully stopping him, but Thea again goes too far and sets Machin on fire in the process. Later, Machin escapes police custody in route to the hospital. Laurel decides to take Thea back to Nanda Parbat to find a way to stop the aggression, while Laurel wants to bring Sara's body to the pit. Meanwhile, Oliver decides to run for mayor after Jessica backs out of the race. In flashbacks, Oliver infiltrates a local military operation run by a man namedReiter. Oliver feigns ignorance of the military operation, but Reiter decides to recruit him for his cause instead of killing Oliver.

Diggle, Thea, and Laurel continue fighting crime in Star City, recently renamed in Ray's honor. City leadership, which includes Captain Quentin Lance, meet to discuss a group of criminals named the "Ghosts", who are terrorizing the city. Damien Darhk shows up, claiming to control the Ghosts and warning the city leaders to stand aside and let the city die. After they refuse, Darhk systematically begins assassinating each of them, but fails to kill Lance. Laurel and Thea contact Oliver, asking him to return to help them stop the Ghosts, much to the disagreement of Diggle. The team tracks the Ghosts, where they witness Darhk using some form of mystical energy manipulation. Working together, the team stop his plot to kill hundreds at a train station. Afterward, Oliver takes the name "Green Arrow" and broadcasts a message to the city vowing to be a beacon of hope, while Lance is revealed to be working with Darhk. In a flashforward to six months later, Oliver and Barry stand at a freshly filled grave; the name is not revealed. In flashbacks, Amanda Waller finds Oliver and forces him back on Lian Yu to assess a new threat.

Everyone’s lives are in danger as Ra’s al Ghul (guest star Matt Nable) puts forth his final plan. Oliver/Al Sah-him (Stephen Amell) must decide if he’s strong enough to take on this new role and what it will mean for everyone on Team Arrow, and his soul.

AL SAH-HIM TAKES HIS FINAL STEPS TO ASCENSION; ROY AND THEA REUNITE — Oliver/Al Sah-him (Stephen Amell) finishes his training and is left with two final tasks to become the next Ra’s al Ghul. Ra’s (guest star Matt Nable) threatens Nyssa (guest star Katrina Law) and delivers some shocking news. Meanwhile, Malcolm (John Barrowman) makes a surprising offer to Team Arrow and Thea (Willa Holland) goes to see Roy (Colton Haynes).

THE LEAGUE OF ASSASSINS SETS THEIR SITES ON NYSSA — Oliver (Stephen Amell) goes through a rigorous transformation. The League of Assassins sets their sites on Nyssa (guest star Katrina Law), who is back in Starling City training Laurel (Katie Cassidy). When Nyssa realizes they are coming, she arms up to face them alone but Laurel asks Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and Diggle (David Ramsey) to help protect her new friend. Thor Freudenthal directed the episode with story by Beth Schwartz and teleplay by Brian Ford Sullivan & Emilio Ortega Aldrich (#321). Original airdate 4/29/2015.

BACK TO NANDA PARBAT — Ra’s al Ghul (guest star Matt Nable) finally makes Oliver (Stephen Amell) an offer he can’t refuse. The team joins Oliver on his journey to Nanda Parbat where a heartbroken Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) decides to take matters into her own hands. Antonio Negret directed the episode written by Wendy Mericle & Oscar Balderrama (#320). Original airdate 4/22/2015.

DOUG JONES GUEST STARS AS DC COMICS’ VILLAIN DEATHBOLT — Lance (Paul Blackthorne) continues his mission to take down the Arrow (Stephen Amell) so Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) orders Oliver to keep a low profile. However, when a meta-human named Jake Simmons (guest star Doug Jones), who kills people with blasts of energy and plasma, starts terrorizing Starling City, Oliver is forced to ask Ray (Brandon Routh) for help. The unlikely duo is forced to team up to save the city. Doug Aarniokoski directed the episode with story by Jake Coburn and teleplay by Ben Sokolowski & Brian Ford Sullivan (#319). Original airdate 4/15/2015.

During the attack against the mayor, Ray is also shot in the chest and taken to the hospital. As Captain Lance issues an arrest warrant for the Arrow and his team, with shoot to kill orders in effect. Realizing Maseo is the assassin, Oliver uses Nyssa to track his location. Ra's shows and again warns Oliver that not accepting the offer will continue to bring death. The police arrive and Oliver and his team barely escape. To push Oliver to accept the offer, Ra's kidnaps Captain Lance and reveals Oliver's true identity as the Arrow. With this knowledge, Captain Lance announces this revelation in a public address. With his back to a wall, Oliver decides to turn himself in to the police. In order to save Oliver, Roy dresses as the Arrow, stops Oliver's transport van and gives himself up to the police, insisting that he has been the Arrow all along. In flashbacks, Oliver thinks he has found Shado, but it turns out to be her twin sister Mei. A.R.G.U.S. agents come after them, but Maseo and Tatsu arrive to rescue them. Afterward, Oliver tells Mei what happened to her sister and father.

It’s celebration time as Diggle (David Ramsey) and Lyla (guest star Audrey Marie Anderson) get married. However, Deadshot (guest star Michael Rowe) interrupts their honeymoon and tells them the Suicide Squad has been given a new mission – rescue United States Senator Joseph Cray (guest star Steven Culp) from a hostage situation in the Republic of Kasnia. Amanda Waller (guest star Cynthia Addai-Robinson) breaks down the mission and introduces them to the newest member of the Suicide Squad, Cupid (guest star Amy Gumenick). Meanwhile, Oliver (Stephen Amell) learns about Ray’s new Atom costume and the two have a heated stand-off. Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and Ray hit a rough patch. Jesse Warn directed the episode written by Keto Shimizu (#317).

Ra's al Ghul tries to convince Oliver to take over as the head of the League, and explains that the localized pool of water in Nanda Parbat has healing effects that have allowed him to live far longer than any mortal man. The pool is becoming less effective, so Ra's is looking for a replacement. In a show of good faith to convince Oliver to take the offer, Ra's releases Diggle and Merlyn and forgives all blood debts. Oliver returns to Starling and releases Nyssa, much to the confusion to the rest of the team. Oliver and his team return to stopping crimes, but Captain Lance is done helping the Arrow when he realizes the vigilante lied about Sara's death. Afterward, Oliver realizes that he is not ready to give up being the Arrow; Oliver informs Maseo of his decision, who warns Oliver of the consequences to defying Ra's. Upset with her father for his offer to Oliver, Nyssa returns to Starling City and agrees to help train Laurel. Ra's, dressed as the Arrow, frames the vigilante for murder. In flashbacks to Hong Kong, Oliver and the Yamashiro's son continue to be on the run, during which they seemingly stumble across Shado, who is alive.

Oliver and Thea continue their training with Merlyn. Thea struggles with the secret of Sara's death, and confesses the whole truth to Laurel who tells her she isn't responsible; Thea also makes a deal to turn her father over to the League. Laurel confronts Merlyn and is easily outmatched, but they are interrupted by Nyssa and the League, and Merlyn is captured. Oliver decides to go to Nanda Parbat to rescue Merlyn to prevent Thea from losing touch with her humanity when she realizes that she has sentenced her father to death. Oliver and Diggle infiltrate Nanda Parbat, but walk into a trap set by Ra's. Instead of killing Oliver, Ra's expresses his appreciation for Oliver's courage and strength, and asks Oliver to replace him as the head of the League. Meanwhile, Thea confesses the truth to Nyssa and offers her the chance at revenge, and Ray tests the flight capabilities of his completed A.T.O.M. exo-suit. In flashbacks, Oliver is debriefed by General Matthew Shrieve. Afterward, he is promised that he can return home if he pleases. On their way home, Oliver and the Yamashiros are ambushed. Overrun, Oliver flees for safety with the Yamashiros' son.

While on the island of Lian Yu, Oliver begins Thea's training. After a night dreaming of Sara, Oliver goes to the A.R.G.U.S. prison to visit with Slade Wilson, where he discovers the guard dead and Slade missing. Oliver warns Thea and retrieves a gun from the site of his father's grave, but Slade arrives and captures them. Slade imprisons them in the A.R.G.U.S. cell, leaving them to the same fate Oliver left him. The duo are able to open the doors and escape. Oliver reveals to Thea that she killed Sara, while she grapples with the truth Slade arrives. The three fight and Thea wounds Slade with his gun, allowing them to imprison him back in the cell. In flashbacks, Oliver and Maseo go to Starling City to track an employee of Queen Consolidated who is working with China White to sell the of the virus she controls. They track the location of the buy and disrupt the proceedings. Oliver looks in on his family and discovers that Thea is using drugs, and a video message from his father explaining the list of names and encouraging Oliver to save the city.