Emerald Archer: The Hood and the Rise of Vigilantism
In 2014, Quentin Lance speaks to the documentary crew about vigilantism. He admits that sometimes the police aren't enough to deal with all of the crime.
Thea says that Star City is a dangerous place and if it wasn't, her mother and Tommy would still be alive. She says that the people need to learn how to protect themselves.
Diaz says that vigilantes are criminals and the only difference between them and him is that he looks out for himself.
Sara says that she lost a lot and the world needs a protector, and it doesn't matter if that protector wears a mask.
In December 2016, the Star City police deputize Oliver, the former Green Arrow.
Cindy Simone, aka Sin, says that she used to run with Team Arrow and they helped her. She saw the toll it took on them and dropped out.
Oliver tells the documentary team that before he was Arrow, he ran around the world trying to make things right. Now his life has never been better because he doesn't have to wear a mask, and he's doing what he thinks he's supposed to be doing in the light of day. Felicity comes in with William, back from boarding school, and Oliver hugs his son. The documentary team captures it all on film, and Oliver explains that Ms. Pedowitz is doing a documentary on vigilantes and Oliver is trying to improve his public image. He says that he doesn't want his son on camera and Pedowitz has the film team cut.
Once the cameras are back on, Felicity says that "vigilantes" are heroes.
In October 2012, Diggle denies that Oliver is the Hood. He insists that Oliver is no one's hero.
In the present, Diggle admits that his comments didn't age well. He says that Oliver has grown in seven years as a person as well as a hero.
Roy tells Quentin that Starling City needs hope, and the police can't give it that.
Dinah says that Oliver cares about the law just like the police.
Oliver tells Pedowitz that working for the police is different, and now he leads a team. He wonders if he's meant to be a leader, and says that he's made a lot of mistakes.
Pedowitz and her team follow Oliver and Dinah as they take a team to parking garage after a report of a vigilante. They find Rene down and he says that they took the new Green Arrow.
-----
Back at the station, Oliver and Dinah talk privately to Rene. He says that he was working with Emiko on a drug bust when a vigilante in a military-grade powered exosuit showed up and took her. As Dinah leaves, Pollard demands to know what's going on and says that she's doing a town hall on vigilantism. Oliver will have to stand up and justify his vigilantism to the people, and Pollard will force him to do it.
At the apartment, William tells Felicity to take the virus off his tablet. She says that she put the virus in to protect their wifi, and William snaps at her to take it off. Felicity asks what's up with him, and he asks why she didn't let him come home for Christmas break. His mother says that things were complicated, and William says that he was the only kid at school and now Oliver is making a documentary. Felicity says that they miss him, and William says that it isn't fair being shipped off to boarding school and walks out.
Oliver approaches Diggle and asks for ARGUS help to help locating Emiko. He admits that Emiko is his half-sister, and Diggle says that he'll be glad to help. Oliver tells him that he hasn't told him because he hasn't seen something. As Diggle starts to say something, Curtis comes over and Diggle tells him to give Oliver access to the Black Watch satellites.
Soon, Oliver and Diggle go to an abandoned athletic club where Curtis spotted movement. Oliver tells Diggle what happened, and they find a new lock on the door. After they break the lock open, they go in and find a workshop with schematics for the exosuit. There are copies of various vigilantes' masks, including Emiko's, and Oliver realizes that the newcomer is hunting vigilantes.
Pedowitz interviews Laurel, who says that she was a vigilante and is now a DA. She says that vigilantes can't and shouldn't operate within the law, and they know it as well.
Rory says that he used to be a vigilante because people need help.
Rene talks about how he goes out on the streets to help the city, and the politicians don't care about the people in the city.
Curtis explains that Oliver isn't a saint but he is a hero.
In Central City, Barry Allen says that Oliver has lived through a lot of darkness and all he cares about is making sure no one goes through what he went through.
Back at the station, Curtis tells Oliver that he found something on the newcomer, who he's dubbed "Chimera". The documentary team is still recording, and Curtis says that he tracked Chimera to an abandoned Federal building. Oliver realizes that the building used to belong to Adam Hunt. The team go there with Pedowitz's team in tow, and Chimera fires mini-grenades at them. Oliver goes after him and then fights him hand-to-hand, and Chimera knocks him down. Diggle opens fire with his rifle, knocking Chimera out the window, and Dinah finds Emiko. She's injured, and tells Oliver that Chimera is coming for him.
The next day, Rene is having pizza with Zoe when William comes by and asks to see Zoe. Zoe explains that she invited Williams over to help her with her geography homework, and Rene is surprised to learn they've been texting each other. William tells Zoe that being home sucks and she asks what's wrong. He can't say, and Zoe asks him to talk to her if they have any issues.
At the hospital, Diggle, Dinah, and Curtis discuss Chimera. Oliver comes out and says that Schwartz is checking Emily and she hasn't said anything yet. Dinah advises him not to go to the town hall. Schwartz comes out and says that Emiko isn't in the room.
Emiko goes to her workshop and bandages her wound. Rene comes in to check up on her, and she refuses his help with the bandage. Emiko tells him that Oliver is her half-brother and explains that Robert was out of the picture long ago and she didn't want to change things between them. Rene assures her that it wouldn't change anything, and they've got their thing and Oliver has his thing.
At the station, Oliver tells Dinah that he needed time to process the information that the new Green Arrow is his half-sister. They both have lots of connections, and Oliver explains that Emiko isn't very trusting. Dinah then says that Pollard is insisting that Oliver goes to the town hall, and thinks they made up Chimera to keep Oliver from showing up. Oliver doesn't want to expose the attendees to a potential war zone, and Dinah says that she'll talk to the mayor.
As Oliver leaves, Diggle suggests that he do the town hall meeting so they can lure Chimera out. The two of them talk privately, and Diggle says that Team Arrow can take down Chimera. Oliver doesn't want them to go to jail by violating the anti-vigilante law, and Diggle explains that there is still Team Arrow. They had each other's backs and wants the chance to have Oliver's. They're willing to go to prison because Oliver was willing to go there for them, and Diggle insists that they'll always be a team. He figures that they learned from their mistakes and move forward, getting better, and offers his hand. After a moment, Oliver shakes it.
That night at the town hall pavilion, Dinah and her people patrol the area. Oliver comes in his leathers and Pollard tells him that police can keep it safe. She intends to convey the message that the town doesn't need him.
At ARGUS, Overwatch is tapped into the venue's CCTV as well as the documentary team's cameras. Spartan, Wild Dog, and Mr. Terrific move in.
In the venue, Pollard says that since Oliver became the Hood, his activities prompted the very same dangers that he claimed to save the city from. Chimera drops in and Oliver shoots at him, but Chimera's arrow deflect the arrows as well as Dinah's shots. Oliver attacks Chimera hand-to-hand and the killer knocks him through the balcony to the floor below. Chimera drops down and tosses away Oliver's bow, and the other three arrive and attack Chimera.
Overwatch analyzes the armor and tries to figure out how to disable it. The camera crew captures everything on film, and when supports fall Dinah uses her sonic scream to protect Pollard and then tells her to get the people out.
At ARGUS, Overwatch realizes that the battery powering the suit is electromagnetically shielded so she can't disable it remotely. Oliver draws Chimera in, and Spartan and Wild Dog get close enough to attack him hand-to-hand. Dinah joins in on the attack and Mr. Terrific tosses Oliver's bow to him. Oliver shoots an electrical arrow into the battery, and the police arrive to arrest them all. Pollard is with them and says that the law is the law and she can't make exceptions. The police take Mr. Terrific, Spartan, and Wild Dog into custody.
At the station, the police determine that Chimera is Kevin Meltzer, who was recently released from a psychiatric hospital. The Hood saved his life seven years ago and he's been obsessed with them. Dinah and Oliver talk to the others in the interrogation room, and Dinah says that she can decline to press charges. However, she warns that they don't have a lot of good options. Oliver apologizes for letting them go with them, but the others say that he didn't let them do anything and they did what they did because it was the right thing to do.
Felicity returns home and William asks where Oliver is. She says that he will be fine and knows that William has been lying to her. Felicity discovered that he didn't take the school exams, and William explains that he got expelled.
The next day at City Hall, Dinah goes into Pollard's office and resigns. Pollard points out that Dinah has been lying to her all along, and Oliver comes in. He turns himself in to go to prison with his friends. Pollard points out that their team sticks together, and says that she didn't know Dinah was Black Canary. The mayor says that the DA's won't press charges and each one will be deputized like Oliver. Pollard respects results and admits that they couldn't have made it through the previous day without vigilantes. She tells them to prove her right and leaves.
Later, Oliver takes the documentary team to the bunker and says that Diaz couldn't stop them and they'll do it better. Oliver talks about how someone told him that they learn from their mistakes and move on.
The Future
Blackstar watches the documentary. She tells Connor that she stole it after it was banned, and figures that it can be useful. Using it, they go to the long-abandoned bunker. Blackstar says that vigilantes were the death of Star City and they got exactly what they deserved.
Written by Gadfly on Feb 5, 2019