Season 4 of Arrow is just around the corner! Violet recaps the Season 3 finale, titled My Name is Oliver Queen, where Oliver takes back his identity, and the team works out their frustrations with him, as they try to work together to stop Ra’s al Ghul from unleashing a deadly virus on Starling City! Following the recap, both Violet and Josh share their thoughts about the episode.
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Episode Recap of Arrow, Season 3 Episode 23: My Name is Oliver Queen
Ra’s al Ghul and Oliver take Nyssa with them on the flight to Starling City to release the virus.
Back in Nanda Parbat, everyone wakes up, wondering why aren’t they dead. Malcolm Merlyn explains that he vaccinated everyone. They’re still chained, but The Flash shows up and rescues them. Felicity tries to get him to stay and help, but he says he has to deal with Harrison Wells, and runs off. They arms themselves and head to the plane, Tatsu says she’s not going though.
Back on with Ra’s al Ghul, it seems that the plane’s engine has been sabotaged. Ra’s al Ghul is surprised to hear Oliver take credit, as he proclaims, “My name is Oliver Queen” when Ra’s calls him Al Sah-Him. Oliver and Ra’s al Ghul fight, while Nyssa fights Ra’s al Ghul’s other men. Ra’s takes the only parachute and jumps off the plane. Oliver and Nyssa take the pilot and co-pilot seats, and Oliver directs her what to do to help land the plane safely. They make a rough landing, but are unharmed.
The Arrow team returns to Palmer Technologies, where Merlyn starts giving out directions, which no one seems to want to follow. Just then, Oliver and Nyssa drop in. Diggle promptly punches Oliver in the face. The others leave Oliver alone to talk with Diggle and Felicity. Oliver explains that he had to try to get close enough to Ra’s to find out how he planned to destroy the city. Oliver’s plan was to kill Ra’s and destroy the virus by sabotaging the plane, and Oliver did not expect to survive the plane crash.
Felcity tries to figure out where Ra’s is and where he plans to release the virus. They figure out that Ra’s wants to take out his nemesis, Damien Darhk, and go to the top floor of the Essex Hotel. Oliver zip lines over, and warns the man he finds there, but it’s not Damien Darhk. The man is then shot in the head from a building across the way. Ra’s al Ghul calls and tells Oliver that he already set the city’s death in motion, from 4 different locations.
Laurel goes to see her father at the police station. Captain Lance isn’t very happy to see her. She calls him out for falling off the wagon.
Oliver reports back to Palmer Technologies. Felicity tries to figure out probable locations for the virus. Later, she speaks privately with Oliver about his plan to sacrifice himself. They have a heart to heart, where Felicity tells Oliver not to fight to die, but to fight to live. Just then, she gets an alert that the four locations have been determined, and Oliver heads out. Felicity also reports the locations to Captain Lance, who informs the police force about the potential bio attack.
Oliver, Laurel and Nyssa, Diggle, and Merlyn go to the four different sites. A messenger shows up to talk to Oliver, telling him that Ra’s al Ghul requires his presence. Diggle sees a guy with a briefcase that he believes has the bioweapon inside. Thea shows up dressed in her red hooded costume and shoots arrows into the man just before he shoots Diggle. They open the briefcase, but there’s nothing inside. He realizes that the man himself is the weapon, and that Ra’s al Ghul is using his own men to spread the virus. The man slits his own throat. There’s an outbreak at the plaza, as it seems that the virus spreads when blood is exposed to open air.
Oliver meets up with Ra’s al Ghul at a bridge that crosses over a dam. Then they swordfight. Meanwhile, the others take out Ra’s al Ghul’s men without exposing blood, and Ray tries to figure out how to replicate and spread the inoculant.
Captain Lance, who is at the dam, which is surrounded by the police, calls Felicity to warn her that the police are about to shoot Oliver. Felicity tells Ray that he needs to fly over there in his suit. But he says he can’t stop working on getting the inoculant out to the thousands who need it.
At the dam, it looks like Ra’s al Ghul is about to kill Oliver, but Oliver is able to overtake Ra’s al Ghul and stabs him through the chest with his sword. As Ra’s dies, he hands over his ring to Oliver. Just then, the police shoot Oliver, sending him falling into the dam. But Felicity, wearing Ray’s suit, flies in and saves Oliver.
The team meets back up at Palmer Technologies, and Oliver thanks everyone for their help. Oliver tells Felicity he wants to be with her, and that he wants her to come with him, some place far away from there. Diggle, upset, leaves the room, and Oliver follows. Diggle says he’s no superhero, but Oliver insists that Diggle’s been his rock for 3 years. However, Diggle says he doesn’t know if he can get past what happened between them, but says he’ll think about it.
Back at Thea’s place, Merlyn tells Thea that he’ll be leaving Starling City as well. Oliver says goodbye to Thea, and says that he already told everyone to call her Speedy. Then Oliver secretly hands over Ra’s al Ghul’s ring to Merlyn, as they had apparently agreed. Oliver tells him he’ll never forgive him for what he did to Sara and his sister. As to whether they’re enemies once more, Oliver says that depends what Merlyn does with his end of the bargain.
Ray works on miniaturizing his suit, and runs a test. But the entire floor explodes.
At Nanda Parbat, Merlyn assumes his role as Ra’s al Ghul. He even has Nyssa kneel before him.
In a voiceover, Oliver says it’s time for him to be something else, to be someone else. He tells Felicity he’s happy, as the two of them drive away.
In the flashback, Oliver and Maseo attack General Shrieve and the soldiers who have followed them. 3 days later, Maseo and Tatsu are presented with the ashes of their son, Akio. Tatsu gives Oliver one of the containers. Oliver has apparently been holding General Shrieve hostage, tied to a chair, and aims a bow and arrow at him. Later, Tatsu find Oliver and sees General Shrieve laying on the floor with several arrows sticking out of him. Maseo confirms that he’s still alive. Then we hear a gun shot. Maseo leaves Tatsu because he sees his failure of his son whenever he looks into her eyes. Oliver sees Tatsu off at the docks.
Violet’s Thoughts on Season 3 Episode 23 of Arrow: My Name is Oliver Queen
So this episode, Oliver’s true plan was revealed: that Malcolm, not Oliver, would become Ra’s al Ghul, not Oliver. Now it all makes sense why Malcolm was so eager to help. Of course there had to be something in it for him. This is pretty huge though, and I’m wondering what Malcolm will do with this new title going forward. Will he be friend or foe to Oliver and Starling City? I guess it depends on whatever fits his needs and benefits him the most.
Also, if there were any doubts in anyone’s minds about Oliver at the end of last episode, when he stood by and let his friends be exposed to the virus, those doubts were disposed of very early this episode, when Oliver declared, “My name is Oliver Queen” and fought back against Ra’s while trying to prevent the virus from being released upon Starling City. Then he confirmed everything was part of his plan all along. But the team, especially Diggle, aren’t very quick to forgive, after all that Oliver put them through, even though it was just an act.
Overall, it was a pretty exciting episode, and nice to see the team back together again, and have Oliver back to being Oliver, not Al Sah-him. I thought Oliver’s fight with Ra’s al Ghul was a bit short and felt a little anti-climactic though. Felicity swooping in to save Oliver was pretty cool though! Didn’t see that one coming.
Curious to see what happens next for Oliver! Obviously, he and Felicity can’t stay out of trouble and away from Starling City for too long before they find themselves compelled to come back, right? But the question is, what is the catalyst?
Josh’s Thoughts: Arrow, Season 3 Episode 23: My Name is Oliver Queen
This was an interesting season finale. It was a bit weird. Of course these crossover episodes always have a issue because the show runners don’t want to have the main character of the show be overshadowed by the side character coming in. But when the Flash shows up and saves Team Arrow, it’s a bit weird he doesn’t stick around to help further.
How the episode went down was good, despite the fact that Barry could have solved these problems in a fraction of a second. It was exciting seeing the team work together, and then the fight between Ra’s and Oliver was pretty intense. Things didn’t look good for Oliver, until that last moment.
But it looks like Oliver will not be Ra’s after all. Him handing over the ring to Malcolm Merlyn is likely going to cause him trouble later, but at least Oliver doesn’t have to become Ra’s. At the end of the episode it even looks like Oliver is going to be less moody, and have a little fun. It is nice he is getting away from the superhero life for a while, but I am sure he will be called back—otherwise why would there be a season 4?
The one final comment I have is, I am betting Nyssa feels pretty screwed right now. She ended up helping Oliver take down Ra’s, but in the end, she was put under the thumb of Malcolm now, so she really isn’t in any better situation. I wonder if this will come into play in the next season?
Scenes from Arrow, Season 4 Episode 1: Green Arrow
Here are scenes from the next episode of Arrow, titled Green Arrow:
