The Past
A young Emiko hears Robert and her mother Kazumi arguing. He warns that Moira will take everything if he lets his lover stay. He leaves and sees Emiko, and he explains that she and Kazumi are going to live somewhere better. Robert reluctantly leaves despite Emiko's pleas for him to stay.
Now
Emiko and Oliver spare with bokkens and talk about their pasts. Emiko says that she had a good teacher and Oliver disarms her. He talks about how Thea always wanted a sister, and Emiko says that she did as well.
Afterward, Emiko leaves the studio and hears someone in the alley behind her. A figure watches her from the shadows, and Emiko shoots her in the arm. The figure runs off and removes her hood... revealing Laurel.
The next day, Felicity is in the loft when Alena arrives. She explains that she's been working retail and Felicity tells her about Archer. Felicity says that she needs her as the CTO of Smoak Technologies and Alena gratefully hugs her.
Later, Oliver is making supper when Laurel arrives. She asks to see Felicity and Oliver says that she's out. He notices that the bandage on her arm is bleeding and offers to bandage it. Laurel accepts and explains that Emiko shot her. She explains that Emiko isn't the hero that Oliver thinks she is, and that Ben saw Emiko the night that Diaz died. Laurel says that there are no records of Emiko that exist before the age of 15, and Oliver figures that Emiko shot Laurel to make a point. His visitor figures that he has a blind spot toward family and insists that she's doing what's right. Oliver says that he'll look into it as long as Laurel promises to stay out of it, and she agrees.
At Palmer Technologies, Emiko watches a van pull up. Oliver is nearby and watches as Emiko meets with Dante when he emerges from the van. Inside, a scientist gives Dante eight military-grade drones tech and he assures her that her family will be safe. Emiko confirms that what they need is there, and Dante stuns the scientist. Oliver attacks one of Dante's people, and Dante blows up the lab. The scientist calls for help and Oliver goes to her, and she says that Oliver has to stop the "Ninth Circle".
Later, Rene and Diggle meet Felicity and Oliver at the bunker. Felicity has discovered that Dante is part of the Ninth Circle, which has no records. There's an insignia found on the weapons that the Ghost Initiative recovered, and the insignia is also associated with times of historical regime change dating back to the 14th centuries. Oliver tells the group about Laurel's suspicions, and Felicity defends her. Felicity says that she needs Dante's DNA to track him via Archer, and Diggle will take the information to Lyla while Rene compares notes with Dinah.
At the station, Dinah calls Laurel in and says that they found out a witness against the Halcones coerced a confessions. Dinah says that Laurel has to abide by the law, and warns that if anyone finds out what Laurel is up to then the Halcones will be released and Laurel will be fired. She then tells Laurel that a Halcone, Gustavo Hernandez, has come in and she wants Laurel to get his testimony and put the Halcones' kingpin behind bars.
Oliver visits Emiko and finds her leaving. He figures that she's meeting with someone and doesn't want company, and asks who she trained with. Emiko says that it doesn't matter, and Oliver tells her that she saw him with Dante. He warns that Dante is a monster, and Emiko says that she didn't know that at first but he trained her when Robert abandoned her and Kazumi. Oliver says that he and the team can help if Emiko lets him help, and Emiko refuses, saying that he'll make things worse if he tries.
The Past
Young Emiko delivers a package to Dante on behalf of the Bertinellis. She pickpockets his watch and Dante catches her, and Emiko admits that she needs money. Dante says that he earned his money, and offers to teach her if she comes back tomorrow. As Emiko leaves, Dante says that it was a goof lift and if she steals from him again he'll cut his throat.
Now
Diggle meets the others at the bunker and gives them a DNA sample that Lyla has. As Felicity runs it through Archer and tracks him to Szrek Chemicals, Oliver tells Diggle and Rene that Emiko is in deep.
At Szrek, a guard finds another guard dead from an arrow. Emiko knocks the guard out and the Ninth Circle agents go in. As Dante prepares to kill Emiko for her betrayal, Oliver shoots the knife out of his hands. The team fights the remaining agents and Dante has his remaining men take Emiko with him. She fights them off and Wild Dog shoots the remainder, but Dante escapes.
Oliver takes Emiko to the bunker, and she warns that Dante will come after her and them as well. She agrees to let them help her but says that she has to take Dante down herself. Felicity reports that Archer crashed and she lost Dante's location, and Emiko says that Dante is looking for enriched uranium. Felicity starts tracking other locations where Dante can find the uranium, and Emiko goes to get some ice to treat her injuries. Once Dinah leaves, Diggle tells Oliver to be careful with Emiko. Felicity learns that there are only two places where Dante can find uranium, and Oliver and Diggle agree to split the team.
Rene helps Emiko, and he says that he doesn't want to pry. Emiko admits that she should have told him the truth, and Rene assures her that they're still partners no matter who they're up against.
The Past
Emiko trains with Dante, who says that she's not prepared. He knows that she's trying to impress Robert, and points out that she's choosing him over the Ninth Circle. Dante warns that the Ninth Circle isn't a place of split loyalties. Emiko refuses to give up on her family, and Dante tells her that the Ninth Circle is her family now. He gives her a piece of paper and says that it's the Circle's gift to her.
Now
Dinah watches from the observation window as Laurel meets with Hernandez. She says that she'd let it rot if it was up to her, but they wants his boss Gomalez. Hernandez says that Quentin tried to convict him and failed, and points out that Quentin is dead. Dinah goes in and tells Laurel that it's enough as she loses her temper, and says that they're done there.
Oliver and Emiko return from one of the two locations, and Felicity confirms that Rene and Diggle struck out as well. She goes to reboot Archer and Oliver cleans himself up. He finds a jammer and goes back, and Emiko draws her bow on him and says that jammed Archer to keep the team from interfering. Oliver deflects her first shot and fights her, and Emiko says that she didn't need Oliver to help her. She angrily tells him that being a member of the Ninth Circle is better than living as a Queen. They continue fighting until Emiko uses a flash grenade to cover her escape.
Rene and Diggle return and Oliver says that they have to deal with the Ninth Circle and find Emiko. Felicity says that Emiko wiped the memory card. There's a break-in at a waste treatment plant, and Felicity confirms that they stole the ingredients to make sarin gas. Oliver goes to Emiko's hideout to look for clues and Diggle goes with him.
Dinah tells Laurel that Hernandez was found dead an hour ago, after he made bail and the DA office let him go. She says that Hernandez's death spooked one of the other gang members into turning state's evidence, and Dinah says that Laurel gave Hernandez the same look she gave to Vinnie before she killed him. Laurel angrily says that Dinah has never given her a chance, and Dinah apologizes but says that neither one of them know who Laurel really is.
Emiko is preparing a device and Dante confirms that he didn't hurt her too much during the staged fight at Szrek. He gives her the name of the man who killed Thornton, and figures that once she's taken care of the killer then she can focus on the mission.
The Past
Over lunch, Emiko shows Robert a business deal to create Queen Materials. Robert says that Queen Consolidated is Oliver's, and no one can find out that Emiko is his daughter. When Emiko tells him that she needs the money to help Kazumi, Robert says that he wishes things were different. Emiko tells him that he'll never become the father she deserves, and Robert leaves to take his boat trip to China on Queen's Gambit. She hides the paper that Dante gave her and says that she has nothing else to tell him.
Now
At Emiko's hideout, Diggle asks Oliver if he needs to talk. He figures that Oliver isn't ready to give up on Emiko, and says that he wanted to do the same thing with his brother Andy. Oliver tells him that he's seeing Emiko more clearly than ever, and his family is to blame for her situation. Diggle says that Andy convinced him that his situation was his fault, but Oliver refuses to abandon Emiko because that would make him no better than Robert. Felicity discovers that the drones are at an abandoned airfield and Emiko is there, and they summon the rest of the team to go there.
At the airfield, the Ninth Circle agents load the drones with sarin gas. The team arrive and realize that they're outnumbered five-to-one. Overwatch tells Oliver that they'll have to take out the drones because it will take too long to override them. The team goes in and Emiko says that she'll handle them and the demonstration should go as planned. Oliver fights his way into the hangar and Dante grabs a vial of the sarin gas and leaves. He shoots his way out past Spartan, activates the drones, and drives off. Emiko sees him abandon her, and Rene removes his mask and confronts Emiko. She tells him to get out and fires an explosive arrow, knocking him down so that she can escape.
The cloaked drones take off and Overwatch tells the team to incinerate them. She decloaks them and Oliver shoots them all down except one. Emiko shoots down his last arrow and the drone flies off, and she tells Oliver that she owes Dante everything. Agents surround Oliver and Emiko tells them to kill Oliver. She escapes and Oliver defeats the arrow. The drone has deployed the gas before Overwatch could stop it.
The team returns to the bunker and Felicity says that all of the buildings targeted were empty buildings. They figure it was a test and wonder how they can stop the real thing.
In her office, Laurel watches a report of her seen with Diaz. Emiko comes in and says that she knocked off Hernandez. She says that Laurel being taken seriously as a hero is almost as ridiculous as wanting to be one, and says that maybe she set Laurel free.
Felicity meets with Alena and asks what they can do if they don't have a target's DNA. Alena tells her that all they can do is hack medical profiles and get bits and pieces.
At the bunker, Oliver checks surveillance footage to try and find Emiko. Diggle joins him and Oliver says that he's trying to stop Emiko before it's too late.
Emiko puts a knife to Dante's throat and says that he disobeyed a direct order. He says that the weapon test failed because of Oliver, and Emiko should focus on her leadership of the Ninth Circle. Dante warns that her absence has been noted, and Emiko says that she's found out through Oliver about the Archer program. When Dante warns that they can't trust technology, Emiko warns that if he questions her authority then he'll give her.
The Past
Emiko listens to a newscast about the sinking of the Queen's Gambit, and burns the paper that Dante gave her: the blueprints of the ship.
Written by Gadfly on Mar 26, 2019