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‘Arrow’ Recap ‘Thanksgiving’

Tonight’s episode of Arrow was certainly packed with everything we needed to cap this Thanksgiving Holiday. Being as the episode itself was titled ‘Thanksgiving’, I have to give mad props to the writers room for all of the Thanksgiving quirks and jokes. It was certainly nice to see some of our favorite heroes celebrating the holiday together.

“Thanksgiving” started off with City Hall sponsoring a Star City food drive – with Oliver and William working together at one of the stands. As Oliver made to address the volunteers and the rest of the city to announce the city’s new police precinct building, Special Agent Watson made her appearance. She announced that Oliver was under arrest for murder along with a list of other charges. Oliver was cuffed and arrested in front of the entire city – including William.

‘Arrow’ Recap ‘Thanksgiving’
Image: The CW

While Oliver was booked in the SCPD room, Agent Watson stated that even though Roy Harper was ‘The Hood’ years ago, she was merely following Oliver’s direction just as Diggle was now doing. Oliver stated that he would not answer any of her questions, unless he talked to William.  When she finally brought William in and left the two of them alone, William asked Oliver why he was under arrest when he wasn’t the Green Arrow anymore. Oliver assured him that he was not.

While Oliver handled his issues, Curtis and Diggle got to work on Diggle’s. Curtis worked up a prototype to help Diggle with his tremors, just as he finished injecting him with it Dinah and Rene entered informing the team that Oliver was arrested by the FBI. Diggle stated that if people found out that the Green Arrow was arrested, then the flood gates would open and they needed to be alert now more than ever.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Cayden James sent Black Siren and a small crew on a mission. They broke into a secured facility and stole a case of nanothermite for Cayden.

Oliver got transferred to the SCPD jail, where he and Dinah had a conversation. Oliver said that although there was the ‘back way’ to getting him out, he wanted to do things the right way otherwise William could wind up an orphan.

While Curtis got to work on figuring out what it was the Black Siren stole from the facility, Felicity headed to the Courthouse for Oliver’s preliminary hearing. During the case, Oliver’s attorney motioned to dismiss on the lack of evidence. The judge refused, stating that the case would continue to trial. He set Oliver on a $5 million bail and a $500,000 bond, which Felicity tells Oliver she IS paying thanks to an angel investor in her startup company.

Curtis headed down to the bunker to find Diggle gearing up, showing that Curtis’ prototype was working. Curtis got a bing on Black Siren’s location – an Amertek facility. The team headed there, in order to stop her. During a fight with some of the henchmen, in complete pain. He ordered the team to head after Black Siren. Despite their best efforts, Black Siren managed to steal the product and destroy the facility.

‘Arrow’ Recap ‘Thanksgiving’
Image: The CW

Felicity arrived at the bunker to find that Curtis had taken Diggle to the hospital, and she learns about Diggle’s tremors for the first time. At the hospital, Diggle learned that he’s suffering from withdrawal from the drug in addition to having an adverse reaction to Curtis’ prototype. While at the hospital, Curtis received a phone call from Felicity. Apparently the items that Cayden and Black Siren stole would allow them to create a fusion bomb, capable of causing massive damage and killing thousands of people. Once Curtis arrived back at the bunker he and Felicity began researching locations as to where Cayden would plant the bomb. In addition to this, the two of them had a minor confrontation. Curtis was angered that Felicity chose the name of their start up without consulting him, and Felicity was angered for Curtis using the prototype without her knowledge.

Oliver visited Diggle in the hospital, telling him that he now knew about Diggle’s nerve damage. Diggle got angered, stating that Oliver was selfish to ask Diggle to put on the hood to protect Oliver’s family when Diggle had a family of his own. They got into a verbal fight, which ended in Oliver stating that he made a mistake asking Diggle to put on the hood. After he left, he headed to Thea’s room and asked her to wake up out of her coma – he needed her.

At the Arrow Cave, Rene mentioned that since it is Thanksgiving Billy Joel is playing a concert in town. Oliver arrived in the bunker, and stated that he would head to the stadium and use his mayoral pull to declare a state of emergency so that the arena would be forced to cancel the concert. At the arena, the manger refused to cancel the concert due to the fact that Oliver presented him of no evidence of a possible terrorist attack.

Oliver returned to the hospital, to pick up Diggle from being discharged. Oliver and Diggle both apologized for each other as they both acted out of line. Diggle asked Oliver if he remembered the Dominator attack, when they were all in stasis pods. In that reality, Diggle was the Green Arrow… and when Diggle put on the hood for real he knew that was what he really wanted to do in life. Diggle then told Oliver that the nerve damage spread to his back and if he continued in the field, he could wind up paralyzed.

Oliver departed the hospital and headed to the Arrow Cave, where he arrived just in time to inform his team that he would be suiting up as the Green Arrow once more.

‘Arrow’ Recap ‘Thanksgiving’
Image: The CW

The team headed to the stadium, and set off a fire alarm so that they could evacuate the area. The cops near the gates told the pedestrians that it was a false alarm, and to remain calm and enjoy the concert. Rene then began shooting his weapons at the ceiling, causing people to try and flee. Felicity informs the team that the cops at the venue aren’t actual cops, they’re associates of Cayden James.

While Dinah, Rene and Curtis took care of the fake cops Oliver headed to the area where Felicity said the bomb was located. When Oliver arrives at it, Cayden steps out of the shadows and appeared. He informed Oliver that there was no bomb, it was a decoy… he merely wanted to talk to the Green Arrow.

Cayden stated that he was on a mission to avenge his son, as the Green Arrow was responsible for his death. Before Oliver could question any further, Black Siren appeared and blasted Oliver away giving her and Cayden the opportunity to escape.

At the Arrow Cave, the team works on figuring out who Cayden’s son was and how he was connected to the Green Arrow. Curtis pulled up a news feed to show that the video of Team Arrow fighting the fake cops has gone viral and there is no evidence indicating that the cops were fake. Rene received a phone call saying that the Anti-Vigilante act was going to pass, so he and Oliver headed to City Hall. Dinah stated it was no coincidence in timing that the video was released, just hours before the vigilante referendum deadline approached. Cayden was taking down Team Arrow one way or another.

‘Arrow’ Recap ‘Thanksgiving’
Image: The CW

After making a statement at City Hall informing the media about the referendum and its passing, he was greeted by Agent Watson. She informed Oliver that she was headed back to Washington, but her business with Oliver was not finished. She then mentioned William once more, and Oliver warned her to leave him out of it.

Oliver, William and Felicity headed to the hospital to pick up Diggle. While William and Felicity went to get the car ready, Oliver told Diggle that when Diggle was back on his feet… it would be Diggle that was the Green Arrow, not Oliver. Just as they were about to walk out the door, a doctor walked in and told Oliver that she had news regarding his sister.

They walked in Thea’s room to see her awake from her coma. After a sweet sibling embrace, Oliver gathered Diggle, William and Felicity and they all enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner together in Thea’s hospital room at her bedside.

Arrow will return on Monday, November 27th at 9PM in a special Crossover episode.

 

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