Arrow – League of Assassins

Arrow #2.05 – League of Assassins

By: Anna

This week’s episode begins six years earlier where we find Oliver Queen and Sara Lance on The Queen’s Gambit. After the Queen’s Gambit sinks we see Sara floating in the water as she is rescued by a freighter called the Amazo and imprisoned in a cage. We will learn more about Sara from her perspective for survival on the freighter.

Back to present day, Sara is staying at the Queen Mansion. She awakes to a nightmare similar to what Oliver goes through. She goes downstairs to find Oliver watching sport. Oliver does not understand why she won’t tell her family that she is alive. He tells her that he missed her and that he and Laurel had tried to get back together but that it was not to be. Sara believes that some things are better left in the past.

At Iron Heights Prison there is a meeting between Moira, her attorney, Jean Loring and the DA, Donner, and Laurel. Laurel is apparently going to act as second chair for the DA. Thea is present and Oliver as usual is running late. Moira is being offered a plea of life with the possibility of parole rather than go to trial and face the death penalty. The DA wants to crucify Moira for the conspiracy on her part in the destruction of The
Glades. Moira will think about it.

Oliver is not happy with Laurel for taking the case and she tells him she has only been in this job for a short time and cannot drop this case. She used her influence to the get the deal that is offered now. Oliver is concerned about Laurel and her wellbeing.

Meanwhile back at the Mansion a Dark Archer breaks in. Oliver thinks it is Malcolm Merlyn but it is not. There is a fight scene between the three, Sara is knocked to the ground but Oliver gets the upper hand and reveals the assassin to be Al Owal. He escapes after knocking a chandelier down to narrowly missing Sara.

Oliver takes Sara to the Lair where she meets Diggle and Felicity. Oliver gives some dirt to Felicity to analyse. We learn from Sara that Al Owal is “the first” member of the League of Assassins. Diggle recalls that they were assassins that killed and vanished like ghosts. Sara does not want Oliver going after Al Owal. She tells Oliver that they rescued her on the freighter, took her to Nanda Parbat, trained her to join the League of Assassins and she swore her allegiance to them. The only way to leave them is death. She doesn’t want her family to know who she is as she is a murderer.

We go back to Iron Heights Prison where Moira has made a decision to take the plea as she does not want her family to find out her secrets. Oliver says to his mother that growing up they didn’t keep secrets from each other and knows she is keeping one.

Oliver comes back to the Lair angry and says to Diggle/Felicity “Have you found someone for me to hit yet!”. Felicity has found the location and Arrow and Black Canary go to an abandoned warehouse where we have a great fight scene. Arrow learns that Al Owal trained Merlyn. Black Canary fights a couple of assassins while Arrow fights Al Owal. Black Canary is told if she won’t come back he will kill her family. They both escape.
Back at the Lair Oliver is stitching Sara up. This is why Sara wants to leave to protect her family but

Oliver will not have her go saying that they can protect them.
We flashback to the freighter. Sara awakens in her cells to be dragged out by her captors. Sara is saved by a Dr Anthony Ivo (Dylan Neal) and taken to his quarters. He tells her that he wants to save the human race and that she can help him.

Felicity goes to Quentin Lance to warn him that he is in danger and should get out of town but he won’t listen to her. Sara goes to find her father and we have an emotional scene of the two reuniting.

Oliver takes Laurel out to dinner and takes her home. Laurel tries to kiss Oliver but he rejects her advances. She then can’t face the rejection as everybody in her life eventually leaves. Oliver goes in to inspect Laurel’s apartment after finding the door ajar. He sees a knife in the wall and takes it out before Laurel enters. Laurel is still popping pills.

Sara takes her father, Quentin, to the Clocktower for safety. Quentin realises that she is the Black Canary and has been home for weeks. She tells him that she would never have told him she was alive if it was not for the League of Assassins. We learn that her name “The Canary” was from when her father gave her a canary as a child.

Meanwhile, Oliver works out that Quentin is the Target and needs to find Sara and Quentin’s location. Three assassins show up and Sara fights them with Quentin trying to shoot them as well. Arrow arrives to help fight the Assassins. Quentin shoots one assassin and Sara breaks the neck of Al Owal. Before the other assassin escapes Sara tells him to tell Ra’s al Ghul to leave her family alone that it is between her and him.
We have another emotional scene between Sara and Quentin that she has to leave and that Quentin must keep her secret.

Back at Iron Heights Prison, Oliver and Thea are with Moira trying to have her tell them what she is hiding as it won’t make them love her any less. She agrees to reject the plea and fight.
Quentin goes to Laurel in her office as she is avoiding him. He tells her that things will get better over time.

At the Lair Oliver takes out of his drunk a bottle of vodka which an old friend gave to him and he would know when the right time to drink it. Oliver is not sure if it is the right time to drink “but needs a drink“ and Oliver and Diggle do a Russian toast. Oliver admits to Diggle “you were right” in which he replies ”I usually am”. Oliver starts to open up to Diggle that his past doesn’t stay buried and doesn’t want to try so hard anymore and says he was not always on the island for the 5 years.
We end back on the freighter where Sara enters the room with Oliver and starts kicking him treating him like a prisoner and saying prisoners don’t speak.