I can’t believe 2 episodes have gone by since a recap, I sincerely apologize. With Halloween last week it just slipped through the cracks, but it’s a shame because the last 2 episodes have been jammed packed with goodness. A brief recap before we dive into this week’s episode.

Episode 3: Lone Gunman

We are introduced to Oliver’s first nemesis not on the list, Deadshot, an assassin who is being paid to take down some of the richest in the city (some of who happen to be on “the list”). His calling card, a poisoned bullet. When he targets Walter at a auction, Oliver springs into action and takes him down but Diggle gets caught in the crossfire. In order to save Diggle, Oliver takes him to his secret lair an administers the antidote. Diggle wakes up to Oliver wearing the hooded jacket, secret is out!

Episode 4: An Innocent Man

Diggle refuses to help Oliver on his quest to rid the city of evil and then changes his mind. The Hood enlists Laurel’s help to free an innocent man. Walter discovers a hidden warehouse purhcased by his wife that is housing the remains of the Queen’s Gambit. Detective Lance discovers footage of Oliver at the auction that links him to The Hood and arrests Oliver. Evil Mom and her group realize The Hood is targeting “the list”. This list is trouble.

And now to dive into last night’s episode.

FLASHBACK ALERT: We’re on the island where the former Green Hooded man is teaching a very spoiled Oliver how to hunt and shoot. We see Oliver take his very first shot, awww memories, it wasn’t impressive.

As he’s retrieving an arrow Oliver is taken by those hooded swat looking guys we saw in the previous episodes.

Back in the present Oliver is being hauled downtown. Detective Lance questions Oliver because he has correctly figured out that he is the hooded vigilante. Oliver tells some B.S. story about finding the duffel at the scene of the shooting, even I do believe that one Oliver.

Walter convinces Oliver not to answer any more questions without an attorney, Oliver agrees but he wants Laurel and only Laurel as his lawyer. Evil Mom goes to Laurel’s office and tries to convince her to represent Oliver. She refuses.

At the arraignment hearing, Oliver is being charged with a whole slew of things and is about to represent himself when Laurel makes a grand entrance and gets him bail (a small amount only $50 million) on the condition of house arrest and wearing an ankle monitor. It’s gonna be hard to be a hooded vigilante when you can’t leave the house.

Safely back at home Oliver decides he wants to throw a “house arrest” party. Tommy is back! I missed him in the last episode.

Detective Lance shows up at Laurel’s place furious that she is representing Oliver. She makes it clear that she believes in Oliver’s innocence and that she thinks that this is a personal vendetta because of Sarah.

At the castle Diggle shows up. He thinks that Oliver is done, but TWIST, this was all part of Oliver’s master plan, he knew the camera was there and that the police would review it. He’s hoping that by going through the trial and being proven innocence any future suspicion of him being “the hood” will cease.

It’s time for the Villain of the Week! German arms Leo Mueller who is in town trying to sell a huge haul of automatic weapons. Oliver wants Diggle to trail Mueller and find out where the buy is happening. But of course before his first mission Diggle has to make a trip to the secret lair and check out all of Oliver’s toys…boys and their toys.

At Queen’s Consolidated, Walter calls in his head of security to drop a bomb. He reveals what he discovered last week, the remains of the Queen’s Gambit in a warehouse. Walter wants him to get the ship transferred to a secure location.

At the police station the DA is willing to drop the case against Oliver if he pleads insanity and spends time in a psychiatric ward. That’s not going to happen, and Oliver demands to take a polygraph test in front of Lance to prove his innocence.

FLASHBACK ALERT: Back on the island Oliver is being lead into an army type camp. He’s put infront of a their leader, Edward Files. Files is not interested in collecting on returning Oliver to civilization  he’s more interested in a man, specifically the hooded man. Files makes it clear that he’s going to make this place feel like hell for Oliver is he doesn’t reveal what he knows. Then Files leaves and in comes scary ninja looking guy.

At the castle, Oliver is assuring a very worried Thea that everything is going to be fine. She seems convinced that Oliver just might be “the hood”. Especially since Oliver gave he an arrowhead as a coming home gift.

Evil Mom goes to see her evil group. They were not happy to learn that Oliver is the hooded vigilante taking out “the list”. She tries to convince them of Oliver’s innocence, they aren’t buying it.

At the police station Oliver submits to the polygraph test. During this process we get our first bit of information about some of the horrors that befell Oliver on the island.

FLASHBACK ALERT: Oliver is being tortured by the ninja man to reveal what he knows about the hooded man. We see where he those scars, does not seem fun.

He reveals to Laurel and Lance that he did get the scars on the island as a result of torture. Lance asks, “have you killed anyone” Oliver responds yes, “Sarah when I invited her on the boat”. It is clear that Laurel is moved but Lance is still convinced of his guilt.

Every episode needs a good party and this week’s is the prison themed rager. My question is, where’s Tommy? He has been far to absent these past episodes.

Diggle shows up at the castle to give Oliver the info on Mueller. Oliver convinces Diggle to dress up in “the hood” outfit and take out Muller’s deal. Oliver specifically had this party to give him 100 witnesses while “the hood” is seen across town, Diggle realizes he has been played him and doesn’t care for it.

At the office Walter gets a call informing him that his head of security has been killed in a car crash, coincidence? I think not.

At the castle Laurel shows up and asks to talk to Oliver alone. She reveals that Lance is not only angry about Sarah but he’s mad because his wife left him after the boat crashed. Laurel was angry for a long time but for the first time thinks about what Oliver must have gone through on the island. She wants to see the scars and know what happened. Strip down time!

After seeing the scars, Laurel asks how he survivied, “there were times I wanted to die but in the end there was somethign I wanted more”. How can you resist that? You can’t obviously, and it’s makeout time. After a very hot kiss, Laurel pulls away and runs out.

FLASHBACK ALERT: Right as Files and his ninja are about to finish Oliver off the hooded man comes to the rescue. Cue awesome fight scene between ninja and hooded man.

Across town in The Glades the arms deal is going down. SIDENOTE: There is way too much  necklace bling happening between the Germans and the gangs. Before the deal can go down Diggle swoops in as The Hood and saves the day.

At the office Walter reveals to Evil Mom that he found the Queen’s Gambit. He’s not happy. Evil Mom begs him to stop looking into this, because there are certain people who aren’t going to like it.

At the castle, Oliver gets a call from Diggle to recap the events in The Glades. Posing as a waiter, one of the henchman from Evil Mom’s group knocks on Oliver’s door. Oliver opens the door and spots the gun and a fight ensues. It looks like the man with the gun might have him but then BAM he goes down and Detective Lance runs in to save the day.

Detective Lance removes the ankle monitor because The Hood was spotted across town. Evil Mom basically tells him to get the hell out. Oliver thanks him for saving his life.

Evil Mom goes back to what his name from the group. She is not happy, and threatens him if he harms a member of her family. Ok maybe I can start calling her Moira. He apologizes, a little too late for that.

FLASHBACK ALERT: The hooded man brings Oliver back to his cave and then leaves him to fend for himself on the island.

Laurel shows up at the castle. She realizes that Oliver lied on the polygraph and no longer trusts him or his innocence. She also makes it clear that nothing can happen between them, sad face.

At the lair Diggle is convinced that Oliver never took in to account the family and friends he would be hurting with his double life. We flash to Thea examining the arrowhead, Walter leaving on a “business trip” and Laurel taking her dad home after a few too many drinks. Oliver makes it clear that he thinks about the ones he loves all the time and that it hurts him more to keep his secret than it hurts them.

Wait, we still haven’t taken down someone from the list this week, cue Oliver.

“Leo Mueller, YOU HAVE FAILED THIS CITY”. Fade to black.

BEST QUOTES OF THE NIGHT

Hooded Man (after Oliver takes his first shot): “You will die badly”.

Detective Lance: “Have you been arrested before? It’s ok I already know the answer to that one..plenty of times”.

Oliver: “The invite says, “Come before Oliver Queen gets off”.

Oliver to Diggle: “Well you know us billionaire vigilantes, we do love our toys”.

Diggle while checking on Oliver’s toys: “Oh that’s sweet”.

Diggle to Oliver at his party: “If you think this is what prison is like you are in for a rude awakening”

Dude to Moira: “Did we have an appointment.”
Moria: “No but I decided to screw propriety after you tried to have my son killed”