Violet recaps Season 3 Episode 18 of Arrow, titled Public Enemy, where an arrest warrant is issued for the Arrow! Following the recap, both Violet and Josh share their thoughts about the episode.
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Episode Recap of Arrow, Season 3 Episode 18: Public Enemy
This episode of Arrow picks up where the last episode left off, with Maseo dressed as the Arrow firing arrows at people in City Hall. The mayor is shot and killed, and Ray also gets an arrow to the chest. Captain Lance issues an arrest warrant for the Arrow.
Laurel tries to convince her father that the Arrow is being framed. He tries to get her to tell him the Arrow’s name, but she refuses.
Roy and Thea are laying in bed together, when they see the news report about the arrest warrant for the Arrow, as well as for his accomplices.
Ray wakes up in the hospital with Felicity at his side. The doctor delivers the bad news that Ray has developed a blood clot, and that he requires surgery, which could result in death or brain damage. Ray says he has an invention, some “tiny robots” that could cure him, but the doctor says that the hospital prohibits experimental treatments. Just then, Felicity’s mom comes to the hospital room to visit. Felicity takes her outside the room and tells her what’s going on. Her mom is more concerned about the fact that Felicity finally has a boyfriend.
Oliver goes to see Nyssa about Maseo, and uses Sara to try to get Nyssa to help him. She does, and reports Maseo’s location to the Arrow Team. The team heads out to the building, but aren’t able to find anything. They begin to think Nyssa played them, when Diggle spots some movement. Arrow, Arsenal, and Canary go up to the parking garage roof and fight Maseo. Ra’s al Ghul also shows up, once again trying to convince Oliver to take his place as Ra’s al Ghul. Then a police helicopter shows up overhead, and says they’re under arrest.
Several police officers show up on the roof, including Captain Lance. The three run and jump off the building, and quickly rappel down to the ground. Diggle, looking through his gun’s scope, tries to direct them which way to go. However, they soon get cornered. But then the Arrow shoots at something which releases a lot of steam, providing cover for Arsenal and Canary to run away. The cops chase them down, and Captain Lance catches up to Laurel, who pleads with her father. However, Nyssa shows up and uses an arrow to shoot the gun out of his hand. Laurel leaves with Nyssa.
Diggle drives up in a van and picks Oliver up, then drives off under heavy gunfire, while police cars pursue. Arrow shoots a trick arrow at the leading police car, causing an explosion, resulting in the car swerving and blocking the other police cars. Then he and Diggle are able to get away.
Oliver and Diggle return to the Arrow Cave, where Thea and Laurel are waiting. However, Roy is still out there. The Arrow calls Lance, who tells him to turn himself in, and hangs up. Roy returns safely. Oliver apologizes for putting them in this position, though Thea says that it’s Malcolm’s fault.
Captain Lance holds a press conference, and promises to hold the Arrow accountable for his criminal activity.
Felicity’s mom tries to talk Felicity into injecting Ray with the tiny robots that could save his life.
Maseo attacks and kidnaps Captain Lance, then brings him to see Ra’s al Ghul, who drops the bomb that Oliver Queen is the Arrow.
Laurel stops by the police station to talk to her father, who reveals that he now knows the identity of the Arrow, and blames Oliver for Sara getting killed. Lance tells Laurel he has officers on the way to Oliver’s home and his sister’s club.
At the hospital, Felicity’s mom fakes a back spasm to get the doctor out of the room. Felicity takes the opportunity to inject Ray. He has a brief seizure, then seems fine.
Roy and Thea talk at Verdant. Roy says that when he shot the cops with arrows, a part of him felt relieved that he would get what he deserved and go to jail. He still feels guilty for killing the cop when he was under the influence of Mirakuru. Oliver comes in just then and apologizes. Suddenly, the police bust in, and Oliver runs away.
The doctor reports to Felicity that the clot in Ray’s brain is gone.
Captain Lance holds another press conference, announcing that Oliver Queen is the Arrow, and that a warrant has been issued for his arrest. Oliver runs to Diggle’s place. Soon after, Felicity, Roy, and Laurel show up there as well. They discuss the situation, and Oliver heads out to the one place he can go.
Felicity returns to the hospital to see Ray. He is grateful that she saved his life, and lets it out that he loves her. However, she doesn’t say it back. She awkwardly leaves the room and tells her mom what just happened. But her mom knows that the reason Felicity doesn’t love Ray is because she’s in love with Oliver.
Oliver shows up at the police station to turn himself in. Laurel is able to get Diggle, Felicity, and Roy in to see Oliver in to see Oliver in the interrogation room. Oliver says he’s making a deal so he can get the rest of them immunity. However, they’re unhappy with this decision.
As Captain Lance transports Oliver to jail, he lets out his anger toward him, and calls Oliver a villain. Suddenly, the convoy comes under attack. It turns out the attacker was Roy, who is dressed as the Arrow, and says he is the Arrow, not Oliver.
In the flashback, Oliver runs into Shado’s twin sister, May, who brings them back to her apartment. Oliver says his name is Tommy, and that he knew Shado from medical school. May hasn’t seen her father or sister for 3 years, and does not know what happened to them, though the police say they must be dead. May happens to see Oliver’s dragon tattoo when he takes off his shirt, and recognizes it as the same one Shado had. She confronts him about it, and demands to know what happened to her family. She reveals that she has called the police. Before Oliver and Akio are able to leave, the apartment comes under gunfire, and men break through the windows and come in shooting. Oliver fights them. Then Maseo and Tatsu show up and kill the invaders. Maseo says the men work for Amanda Waller. Before heading out, Oliver gives May closure and tells her that Shado and her father are dead.
Violet’s Thoughts on Season 3 Episode 18 of Arrow: Public Enemy
Finally, Captain Lance knows! However, I’m surprised that he had to be told, and by Ra’s al Ghul, no less, and wasn’t able to figure it out on his own. Especially considering the fact that he was able to figure out that Roy was Arsenal within 2 seconds of meeting him face to face! Plus Lance’s apparent notice of Oliver’s “scruff,” you’d think he could put two and two together. Of course, this revelation comes just when Lance has become hostile toward the Arrow, and right when Ra’s al Ghul and Maseo are trying to frame Oliver for several murders. Lance really should have known by now, so that Laurel could have told him about the League of Assassins and everything they’re doing to work against the Arrow Team. But then, all of this has been a long time coming, as a result of keeping secrets, since Laurel kept Sara’s death from him, which led to him and Laurel not being on good terms, which has led us to where we are now. Tenuous at best, but that’s how TV works sometimes. These secrets had been getting increasingly annoying, so I’m glad everything is out in the open now.
But now Roy has turned himself in as the Arrow, which will probably stick, considering that Oliver had previously been cleared of being the Arrow. Roy will probably say that Oliver was just trying to protect him and the other Arrow Team members. Of course, Captain Lance knows better, but I’m not sure how he’s going to prove that the Arrow is in fact Oliver, not Roy. I hope that they are able to get Roy off though. It’s very sad that he feels guilty for something that he did that wasn’t even his fault. I mean, if everyone followed that logic, then Thea should be turning herself in as well. But that’s just silly.
So, what’s going to happen with Felicity and Ray now? It seemed like this episode was implying that Felicity and Oliver might get back together, based on Felicity’s conversation with her mom, where she accepts that she’s not in love with Ray because she’s in love with Oliver. Previously, a big part of the reason that she wasn’t with Oliver was because of his secret identity. But then with his identity revealed, that’s no longer a factor. Even if Roy is credited as being the Arrow, that could change things. However, after watching the crossover episode on The Flash, Felicity and Ray seemed just fine. So, we’ll see if anything changes once they get back to Starling City.
Josh’s Thoughts: Arrow, Season 3 Episode 18: Public Enemy
I have some pretty mixed feelings about this episode. On the one hand, it is pretty exciting seeing Oliver on the run, and people attempting to track him down. On the other hand, I could see where this was going a mile away–Oliver will be joining the League of Assassins. This has basically been confirmed by the previews for next week as well.
It was pretty noble what Roy did, but I would think that Detective Lance would know that Roy is covering. Of course with Roy admitting to it, it might be difficult for Lance to try to convict Oliver. I guess we will have to see what lance is going to do at this point.
I have been pretty “meh” on Arrow lately, and I am hoping that these final 5 episodes get better. I am also very excited to see the next crossover episode with The Flash, as those have always been a lot of fun.
Scenes from Arrow, Season 3 Episode 19: Broken Arrow
Here are scenes from the next episode of Arrow, titled Broken Arrow:
