Interviewer Rich Kannon talks with Oliver and Laurel on his show. Laurel talks about her job as a DA, honoring her "father"'s legacy. Rich turns to asking Oliver if Robert's legacy is inspiring him.
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At the cemetery, Oliver greets Emiko and says that he needs to make things right.
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Oliver says that Robert sacrificed himself for Oliver, and Rich says what a true hero Robert was.
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Oliver offers to prove to Emiko that he's nothing like Robert, and says that she should be part of his family now. She says that the Queens destroy everything they touch, and Oliver asks for a chance to prove otherwise. Emiko tells him that she has no family and walks away.
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Oliver insists that his only goal is to serve the city, and he assures the viewers that he will no longer hide in the shadows and always serve on the side of the law... and he's going to prove it.
Af5ter the show is over, Oliver tells Felicity that he almost likes Laurel. She assures him that Emiko will come around eventually, and Oliver says that he needs Emiko to see that he and Robert aren't the same person.
Diggle and Lyla interview China White, explaining that ARGUS is assembling a task force and China can be a potential candidate. She isn't interested, having heard that they put bombs in the members' heads, and points out that Arrow is a criminal and Spartan fought alongside him.
Next, Lyla and Diggle talk to Joseph and point out that he has father issues. They then meet with Carrie and she says that the love of her life rejected her for a blonde. Curtis comes in and demands to know what they're doing. Lyla and Diggle talk to Curtis privately and explain that it's about Dante. Dante is the financier for dozens of terrorists attack and they tracked one person who knows Dante back to a compound in Egypt. The Ghost Initiative is their best way to get him. Their lead came from the first member of the initiative, Diaz. Curtis notes that Diaz has tried to kill all of them repeatedly, and Diggle says that no one knows that they're working with Diaz and no one can know. If ARGUS knew then they'd cancel the operation. Lyla asks Curtis to make sure that the bomb tech isn't rejected by the candidates' bodies after insertion. Curtis isn't happy about it, and Diggle tells him that it's not a request.
Laurel meets with Felicity at a bar at Felicity's request, and Felicity claims that she just wanted to celebrate with her after the interview. She tells Laurel that Quentin would be proud of Laurel, and Laurel thanks her. Felicity leaves to the restroom and Laurel sees a newscast about a poll about her popularity. A man sees her and calls to her, and Laurel stares at the man and says that it's impossible.
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Laurel uses her sonic scream for the first time and kills the man, Brett Collins.
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Brett tells Laurel that she should be behind bars. The bouncer escorts him out, and Laurel goes out as Felicity joins her.
Rich leaves the studio and goes to his car, and the nearby lights blow out. An electrical bolt hits Rich in the chest, stunning him.
The next day, Oliver meets with Dinah and Nick when they get word that Rich is missing. T5he security cameras were shorted out, and they figure it wasn't a random attack. Oliver figures that it's related to the interview. On the TV, a tied-up Rich is saying that Oliver is not a hero and he shouldn't represent the people of Star City. He says that if Oliver doesn't quit the SCPD then people will suffer.
Laurel goes to her office and finds a note on desk saying that the writer can find her anywhere.
Diggle talks to Curtis about the injection testing. Curtis says that what they're doing is inhumane, and Diggle insists that it's the only way they can get Dante without ARGUS overnight. He admits that he's not okay with it but they have to make difficult decisions. Diggle insists that the bombs are just a failsafe, and wish that there was a better way.
Laurel visits Felicity and asks her to help her confirm if Brett is from Earth 2. Laurel agrees and says that one day Laurel will realize that she can trust her with more information.
Oliver tells Dinah that the man who abducted Rich is an amateur. Nick discovers that the video was uploaded from a coffee shop in the Glades, and uses satellite imagery to check the area and find a home with a window that matches a shadow in the video. Oliver goes in and finds the chair Rich was sitting in. Dinah and her man come in from the bottom of the building, and Oliver finds Rich dangling from a chair tied to a rafter. His abductor releases the rope and Oliver fires a net arrow to catch Rich. The police arrive and the abductor slips away while Oliver is distracted.
Back at home, Oliver tells Felicity what happened and asks her to pull up the transcripts from Slabside with Dr. Parker. Felicity does so and Oliver finds a reference to Dave Hackett. Oliver discovers that Dave was killed and he had a son, Sam. Sam read Parker's transcripts and realized that Robert killed Dave on the lifeboat. Oliver realizes that Emiko was right and his family destroys everything that it touches. Felicity gets a text and tells Oliver that she has to go/
Curtis visits Diaz in the lab, who reminds him that the last time he met he stabbed him in the gut. Joseph, Carrie, and China are there as well, and Curtis says that he has to turn off the bombs to test them, and first he'll have to sedate them. As Curtis does so, an alarm on the monitor goes off. Diaz breaks free and tells him to wake up the other three, and Curtis does but warns that the guards will be all over them once they leave the lab. Diaz frees the others and says that the bombs are out of commission, and they leave taking Curtis with them.
Laurel finds a note on her car saying "I'm coming for you." She goes back to the bar and finds Brett in the alleyway, drunk. He says that Star City needs to be rid of Laurel and attacks her. Lau8rel easily defeats him and says that he should have stayed on Earth-2. Brett has no idea what Earth-2 is. As Laurel prepares to kill him, Felicity arrives and says that they have to leave, and explains that she tracked Laurel there using a DNA tracker.
Oliver meets Dinah at Sam's apartment and explains that Dave was Sam's father and Robert killed him. They break into Sam's apartment and find notes on the lifeboat and a search plan for searching the North China Sea. Sam figured that since Oliver survived, Dave might have. The unredacted transcripts from Parker are there, and Oliver realizes that Sam never got closure. Dinah finds the parts for some sort of weapon on the table.
Diaz and the others head out, and the ARGUS guards come at them. The criminals take them down, and more guards arrive. Diaz walks out and goes to the parking garage. Curtis has the keys for the SUV Diaz is trying to steal, and attacks him with a discarded nightstick. Diaz subdues him and breaks his neck, and then drives off. As he makes a call to his people, Curtis gets on the line and says who he is. The surroundings fade away, and Curtis says that he ran a virtual reality program in Curtis' head. He explains that if Diaz leaves, Dante will come after him because Diaz gave them everything ARGUS needs to find him.
Bethany Snow is running another newscast about 77% of the citizens supporting Oliver's removal from the SCPD. Oliver visits Dinah and suggests that they stop Sam by firing Oliver. He figures that the consequences of removing his mask are catching up to him, and warns that his being on the force puts Dinah at risk. Dinah says that he isn't putting anyone at risk, and Oliver insists that he should have come clean with Sam years ago. She tells him that the only thing that he has control over is what he does going forward.
At the apartment, Felicity tells Laurel that she can't be seen attacking people. Laurel insists that Brett should be dead and explains that he was the drunk driver who killed her Quentin on Earth-2. She tracked him down and killed him, but apparently he's still alive. Laurel shows Felicity the note, and Felicity wonders why she kept the secret of the one murder a secret. Finally, Laurel says that her father was on the road but he showed up without her cake and she threw a tantrum. He went back out and Brett drove him off the road. The last thing Laurel said to her father was "I hate you", and she blames herself for her father's death. Felicity asks if she understands how irrational it is now that she's said it out loud, and assures Laurel that it's not her fault. She promises that they will get Brett... together.
Dinah and Oliver meet with Officer Selway, who has determined that the fragments at Sam's apartment belong to a tag for Star City Electronics. Sam never worked there under his own name but used his father's, and Selway does a trace on the GPS in Hackett's work van.
Three police officers arriving at the station spot a man working on an outdoor circuit box.
Selway discovers that the van is there. The power goes out and the metal becomes electrified, knocking the officers out. As they recover, Oliver and Dinah go out and Sam brings in the officers, wired with electricity. He says that they're all going to suffer for helping Oliver. Sam explains that he's filled the wall with static electricity. Oliver tells Dinah to evacuate the place while he stalls.
Oliver steps out and tells Sam that he needs him to let the people go. Dinah tries to get a door open with an insulated mat, and listens as Sam tells Oliver that he knows what he really is. Oliver admits that he lied and explains how Sam's father died. Sam is relieved that Oliver has finally admitted it, and Oliver tells him that he was wrong for not telling him the truth and giving him closure. He apologizes, but Sam says that they're past apologies and he needs to make it right.
Dinah gets out the door and onto the street.
Sam tells everyone that if they kill Oliver then they'll live: otherwise they'll fry. One officer prepares to shoot Oliver, and Oliver tells him that he understands if the officer has to do it. Sam tells the officer to pull the trigger, but the man lowers his gun.
Dinah shoots the circuits, restoring the power.
Sam hits the trigger on his device but nothing happens. Oliver tackles him and says that no one dies... including Sam.
Later, Rich interviews Oliver at his request. Oliver explains about how Robert killed Sam's father. He says that he's made mistakes but he won't lie again.
Curtis gives Diggle the information and figures that they can cancel the Ghost Initiative. Diggle tells him that the program still has value. He promises that they'll shut the program down once they have Dante, but Curtis doesn't believe it. Curtis tells him that he's going to call his own shots and leaves.
Felicity and Laurel tell Dinah about Brett, and Dinah says that they have Brett in custody. The Brett hat confronted Laurel is on their earth, and has a history of stalking and anti-vigilante violence. Cisco texts that Brett on Earth-2 died five years ago. Laurel thanks both of them and Felicity says that it's not so bad having people back Laurel up. As they go, Felicity meets with Oliver and congratulates him on the interview. Oliver figures that it will take more to convince the city that he's changed. Emiko is waiting and Oliver talks to her privately. She says that she saw the interview and admits that it took guts, and Oliver says that it took him too long to say the truth. Emiko talks about how as a child she imagined what it must have been like to have a family. She accepts that Oliver is different from Robert, and Oliver asks if she's ready to talk. Emiko says that she's ready to think about talking, and Oliver says that he'll take that.
That night, Dinah leaves the station and she finds a note on her steering wheel saying "One by one, I'll kill you all."
Written by Gadfly on Jan 29, 2019