Arrow Recap S2E16: Suicide Squad

Oliver awakens from a nightmare, Sara is by his side., and he has blood on his hand, Shado rolls over “murder” she murmurs. He awakens again, for real this time. He places a call, to a Russian associate. He wants to have Slade Wilson found, but first his associate wants someone found too. Oliver doesn’t want to trade, but he insists, a fair trade or no deal. Alexi’s men close in, and Oliver takes them out. He knows how the game is played, and he makes them his bitches.

Oliver returns to his lair, Sara awoke and found him gone. Oliver hasn’t been sleeping with Slade’s return. She asks him he wants to talk about it, she gets  the threat, but Oliver isn’t scared.  He’s angry, and he plans to ensure he stays dead this time.

In Starling City, Diggle watches Felicity’s house. She comes out  with hot cocoa in hand. Everyone gets extra security, including Felicity. Diggle gets called away to a hotel. Gun out, he goes and Lyla surprises him. She’s freshly returned, and appears to be Dig’s ex. She kisses him, and he tells her that he and Oliver have a situation, but Lyla is very persuasive.

In Afganastan, Lyla wants Diggle to take a rest break with the refugees. The girls need rest, and Lyla gives one socks to protect her injured feet. She is so thankful that she rats out Qadir, and Lyla takes him at gun point. Diggle finds that the man is wanted, and wanted alive.

The ex’s have a very happy reunion, until they run into Amanda in the hallway. She tells Lyla that something has come up, and she needs both of their assistance. At A.R.G.U.S, they learn that a nerve agent is about to hit the open market. All samples were accounted for but one. They can’t risk an army to go take it back. Lyla points out that Dig isn’t a field agent, and he refuses to involve Oliver. She doesn’t want Arrow’s help, she wants Digs. He has ties to the man they believe has the agent, Qadir, who remembers Diggle as the man who saved his life. They need him to infiltrate a fundraiser, and get his team in, (Taskforce X) the Suicide Squad, comprised of just three guys, one being the Bronze Tiger. The chatty one is Deadshot, and he and Dig have history, he killed Dig’s brother. They’re all prisoners who are working their time off. Dig is less than pleased to have the murderers released, but Lyla points out Oliver and Sara have a pretty high body count between them. He tells her that there’s a difference, and a pair of blonde pigtails offers marital counseling. Someone let Harley Quinn out of her cage!

Laurel sits in the bar chatting with Sara. Sara watches Oliver walk by, and Laurel tries to comfort her, being in that position before too. He’ll open up when he’s ready she tells her.

Oliver meets with Felicity, who is busy looking for Slade. So far she has found little. A robbery in progress flashes on his screen, and he springs into action. Arrow checks out the scene, and Deathstroke watches him.  On the rooftop he leaves a message, his mask with an arrow through the eye.

Lyla (Harbinger) has her eye on the target. Deadshot, Shrapnel, and Bronze Tiger are all in position nearby, Amanda (Mockingbird) gives her the go. Dig (Freelancer) is given the go ahead, and  Deadshot covers his position.

In Afghanistan, Qadir tries to make friends with Diggle. He knows exactly who Qadir is, he is a murderer, a drug dealer, among other things. His Sergeant overhears Qadir’s failed overtures, and remarks if they wanted to make money, Afghanistan would be the last place they would be.

Now Diggle “runs” into Qadir. Qadir is surprised to see him, and both men seem pleased. Dig tells the Tiger that all is okay, and Qadir seems impressed that the former soldier now has a bodyguard. Qadir thinks that they have changed positions. Qadir tells him that the information he gave to the government saved many lives, and when he can he gives back still. Shots ring out, and Dig throws Qadir to the ground saving his life again. Déjà vu. Qadir’s bodyguard rushes him away, and he believes that Dig was the target. Deadshot moves to the getaway car, but Shrapnel makes a run for it. In a country without extradition he thinks to stay out of his cage, but Mockingbird has other ideas, and takes him out.

Diggle confronts Lyla about rigging the squad to explode. She points out that they need incentives to play nice, as they are murderers. He doesn’t even know her anymore. She asks where they are with Qadir, he’s gotten the invite they needed.

Oliver goes to talk to his contact. He’s gotten Slade’s bank account information, and he makes it clear that with this there will not be no further deals. Oliver heads back to his bike, Sara surprises him. He doesn’t want to talk to her about it. She tells him that Slade is getting in his head, and he’s winning. Oliver pulls away from her. She tells him that he did what he had to. Ivo was going to kill her, or Shado, or both. He was forced to make an impossible choice, and now they have to stop Slade. Oliver knows that he’s going to use her to hurt Oliver, and get hurt in the process, either way he wants her to stay away.

Deadshot patches up the nick he gave Dig. Diggle wants his ministrations to be done quickly. He’s not one for chatting. Dig asks about the girl that he has a shrine to, his daughter Zoe. Deadshot is keeping away, but putting money on the side for the girl. Diggle lets him scan his finger and tells him that every girl needs her father, but Deadshot knows he’s doing the best thing for her by staying away. Lyla plans to send Deadshot in to pocket the nerve agent, hence the need for the print.

At the party, Qadir greets his guests. Diggle brings Lyla as his date/body guard. He doesn’t recognize her, and Dig bypasses security with Qadir’s help. Deadshot goes through security, and uses his keys to throw the security off of his hidden gun.

In Afghanistan, the shooter was practically just a child.

Diggle and Lyla chat up Qadir, as Deadshot tries to get away from the party. Qadir insists that the pair take the dancefloor. Deadshot makes it down the stairs. Diggle isn’t thrilled about putting the mission in his hands. Lyla is okay with operating in the grey.

Sara makes Laurel a gross virgin drink. Sobriety has its drawbacks. Oliver arrives, and Sara makes scarce. Laurel points out that Oliver and Sara seems to be on the rocks. Oliver doesn’t think she’s the right person to discuss this with, but she’s brutally honest with him. She tells him that she knows him better than everyone, and that keeping everyone at arm’s length only protects himself.

Felicity delivers the address of the account. She wants to call Roy and Sara, but Oliver refuses to give Slade additional targets.

Deadshot has a cool electronic eye patch, that lights up, and he finds the hidden door.

Oliver heads to Slade’s office. In his chair is a dead man, shot through the eye. On a wall there is a projector movie playing of Shado. She was so vibrant and alive, and all smiles.

Sara tries to train away the anger. Oliver admits that he doesn’t know what to do. Slade has had too many years to plan, and now he doesn’t know how to stop him. Sara tells him that he can start with letting people help him. He doesn’t want her to get hurt though, and she points out that it won’t matter if they’re together or not when Slade comes. She tells him to let Slade come, she’s no longer the girl from the Island.

Deadshot is in. He radios back to Lyla, cocky about getting his hands on the nerve agent, but there is a bit of a problem. The nerve agent is no longer pocketable. There’s far too much of it. Lyla contacts Mockingbird, and apprises her of the situation. Mockingbird uses Deadshot’s fancy eye patch to get a visual, and prepares to pull everyone out. She knew the package would be too large to transport, but she needed a visual confirmation. Maybe Lyla doesn’t know her employer as well as she thought. MQ9’s are in route. Everyone at the party will be dead in 10 minutes. Diggle wants to get the innocents out, but Lyla tells him there is no time. He chooses to make a toast/announcement instead. He announces the laundry list of his past crimes, as well as the fact that there is a cache of nerve agent below. The people scramble out, and Dig goes to save Deadshot. Qadir recognizes Lyla, but Bronze Tiger puts his claws to good use. Deadshot is surprised to see Diggle come to rescue him. He tells him that Amanda is sending in the MQ9s, but Deadshot isn’t budging. He’s expendable, and this is his chance to do something honorable. Diggle uses Zoe to convince Deadshot to leave, and the group gets out just in the nick of time. The drones shift course, just as they reach the house. Waller has them rigged as bombs and gps. The drone fires, and Lyla removes Deadshot’s collar just in time.

The Wachovian government is threatening a retaliation over the drone strike, Amanda blames Dig, but Dig didn’t send them. The drones were cloaked, and because of Dig’s herorics, the nerve cache was not destroyed, so they had to send in a seal team to clean out the estate. It doesn’t look like they’ll be working together again any time soon. Amanda decides that Dig’s action exposed a design flaw, and plans to have the bomb trackers infused into the squad’s spines.

Dig walks with Deadshot back to his cell. He tells him that he’ll be out in a few years, having worked off his sentence, but they both know he won’t live that long in the program. Lyla is keeping her job. She asks about them. The man who killed his brother showed more compassion than the people protecting the world, which concerns him, but he knows that he can’t lose her again.

Afghanistan, Diggle watches Qadir drive away. The man went from enemy to ally. The Sergeant put Diggle in for an accommodation for saving Qadir. Lyla congratulates him for killing the kid. Dig isn’t happy about getting a medal for the killing. Lyla tells him that the world isn’t all black and white, and the two get on a first name basis.

The Chemical Weapons Stash makes the news, as does Moira’s plans to revise inner city pool plans. Sara thought that Oliver hated swimming, he does, and so does his sister. Oliver admits that his mother has a murky relationship with the truth. He thanks Sara for being there for him, and he promises to stop pushing her away, which is a futile gesture. Oliver thanks Laurel for her help, which needs no thanks. She’s just helping the people she cares about. She extends a dinner invitation, but Oliver declines, he has a friend he needs to visit. Oliver goes to see Amanda. He no longer feels murderous towards her. He tells her that Slade has taken that spot, and she gives him some intel on a new player who may just fit his bill: Deathstroke.